Heartland High
by ExAxL
Summary: Heartland High is part of a prestigous schoolground, only the most well rounded students get to attend. It's her first time away from home, and Alice expects it to be like any other high standard school, but that might be an understatement.
1. The New Kid, the Seniors

**Heartland High**

**Well, I gotta be honest, everyone was writing about HnKnA as a school, so I thought ' hey, why not? '  
This basically relates to what I would do if were Alice in some scenes, and it revolves around a more school related atmosphere, so be expecting all the exams and homework and all that other technical stuff we all hate and despise.**

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**1. The New Kid, the Seniors**

Alice stood at the side of the road, waiting patiently for the bus to arrive. She had gotten there at the crack of dawn, anticipating her first year in high school. The last thing she wanted was to be late on her first day.

_I wonder what the other kids will be like. I heard all the classes were mixed with freshmen and seniors. That sounds kinda scary._

Amidst all her thoughts, an engine roared in the distance, a large charter bus coming into view. Alice grasped firmly on her books, piling them into her shoulder bag. The bus stopped, the door folding open. Alice boarded the bus and peered down the aisle.

_I'm the only person here._

Alice turned to the driver." Um, excuse me, why am I the only one here?"

The driver turned to her, a smile over her face." You happen to be the first stop of the day. Don't worry, more kids will arrive soon." Alice took a seat in the very back of the bus, and considering the fact that this was a charter bus, it was technically a couch instead of a seat. In the middle was a table and the couch spread around it, two curtains held up by tassels dividing the couch area from the rest of the bus.

Silence filled the charter bus, nothing but the motor running and the tires against the pavement. Then, the bus stopped and the door opened again. Alice looked up from the summer reading assignment she had been given to see who it was.

A boy stepped onto the bus. His long navy hair draped over his face and shoulder, and Alice could tell the back was tied in a low pony. He wore a solid white collared shirt tucked in his black pants. A solid black tie hung loosely around his neck and a black belt buckled around his waist. A laptop bag hung over his shoulder, swinging lazily at his side as he made his way through the aisle. He sat down across from her, almost as though he didn't notice she was there. He sat there for a moment, until he finally noticed her. His glare was like ice, and sent a shudder through her body.

Getting the courage to break the silence, Alice finally spoke up." Hello, my name's Alice. What's yours?" she asked politely. Her mother had always told her to be quiet and polite at all times, all the way up until the day she passed away.

He continued to glare, but slowly backed his gaze away." Julius Monrey," his deep masculine voice answered her.

She smiled at him." Well, Julius, it's very nice to meet you." She reached out, and he took her hand in his in a firm shake. " Is this your first year here?" Alice asked quietly. Julius shook his head, annoyance spread over his face." This corner is for seniors, which is why I sit here."

Alice's eyes lit up with surprise." Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know. I'll just leave now. Sorry if I was bothering you," with an apologetic smile Alice began to collect her books. Instead of ushering her away, he placed a hand out in front of her.

" The way this bus works is that seniors have the say in who sits back here and who doesn't. You can stay if you want." Alice smiled." That's very kind. Thank you." Alice took her seat again and resumed her reading. About 10 minutes later, the bus stopped again, letting another navy haired man on. His short jagged hair was almost the same shade of Julius's, but his eyes were a liquid gold, and.. was that a tattoo on his neck? He wore the exact same outfit as Julius, carried the exact same laptop bag too. He walked towards them, slowly gaining a smile.

" Who is this, Julius? I thought we were the only seniors this year." Alice leaned back against the couch, not liking the fact that two seniors were talking directly to her." I have given her permission to stay at her own volition. I'm sure you have no problem with that."

The cobalt haired man smiled." Not at all. By the way," he glanced over to her," you wouldn't happen to be new kid this year, would you?" Alice jumped at his question, but smiled." Yes, I am. How could you tell?"

He sat down beside her." You just have that type of aura, it's very easy to detect." He unclipped his laptop bag and, as guessed, pulled out a laptop. He pressed the power button and the computer powered up, a black screen turning to a light blue desktop with several icons, mostly documents and links. The mouse clicked over to a documents page, and his fingers instantly began typing at a ridiculously high gwam ( for people who don't know, gwam stands for gross words a minute, how many words you can type a minute)

" Send Nightmare a PM. We're heading his way," Julius spoke up." Already on it," the boy replied. Alice turned to him." Who is Nightmare?" she asked." He's an.. aquantaince of ours, who also happens to be a senior. My guess is he will be the next student on this bus." Alice smiled. _Seriously! Another senior is coming?_

From the corner of her eye, Alice saw him hold out his hand. She reached for it and smiled brightly at him.  
" Forgive me for not properly introducing myself, I am Gray Ringmarc."

Alice reached out, his hand taking hers in a firm grasp." I'm Alice. Alice Liddell, nice to meet you." He smiled, pulling his hand away and started typing again." The pleasure is mine. And soon it will be anothers," he sighed, closing the browser from his laptop and shutting it down.  
The door opened, a silver haired man stepped in.

_He's wearing the same thing as these two, same shoulder bag too. Maybe they're in a club or something._

The silver haired man drew closer, slowly presenting himself in front of the trio. He laughed deeply, smiling at the three." So you're the new kid. Miss Alice, it's very nice to meet you," the man said, a smile plastered on his face. Alice held out her hand, and he took it in his. " It's very nice to meet you, but.. how did you know my name?"

" That's a secret, but I'm sure we'll be the best of friends," he said, plopping down next to Gray." It's Nightmare."

Alice glanced around her, tensing up nervously. _I feel like a magnet now, maybe I should just go._

" Nonsense, there's no reason to leave," Nightmare said, leaning past Gray to look at her.

Alice mouthed an "okay" and leaned back against the leather laced couch. She flipped open her book and tried reading again, straining herself not to get distracted by the seniors crowding around her.

Alice opened a brochure type book, flipping through the few pages it held. A note was on the inside, printed on the paper and adressed to her. She hadn't had a chance to read the full thing until now.

_Miss Alice Liddell,_

_We have taken the liberty upon ourselves to request your presence for the next 4 years at our school campus, Heartland High._

_Your outstanding grade point average and favoritistm shown by your teachers has concluded that you would be a quality student among our schoolgrounds. Should you choose to accept our invitation, our charter transportation will pick you up at the Diamond Bus Routes._

_Keep in mind, this is a boarding school, so please make sure to pack all valuables and needed belongings for each year of arrival. Upon your arrival, we will send a scout to the bus to show you around campus, which includes classrooms arnd dormitories. We ask that you choose one of our 4 main dormitories and then send a slip to the front office so we may recieve your approval to stay on campus. A room key will be delivered on the following day. We await your decision._

_Heartland High School Board of Directors Association_

Alice sighed. She had sent the form saying she accepted their request, but now, it wasn't even her first day and she had seniors, the highest of the highest, surrounding her. And she had never been away from home before, which only made her more nervous. Books and other things were included while staying at the school, and jobs were allowed in case you needed other things. The only problem was the fact that the school alone was a week's drive away from her hometown. Alice had brought her own laptop, but was afraid to bring it out, thinking the seniors would think she was just showing off.

All was quiet, until the bus stopped moving and the door swung open again, letting someone else on.

_It looks like someone else is coming. I wonder who it could be._

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**I have to say, I think that's a great start, but that's just me, what do YOU think?**

**Working on the next chapter as we speak, who do YOU want to be the next kid on the bus?**


	2. New Faces

**Heartland High**

**XD more time on the bus, no! and I think the next chapter will be on that freaking bus too.  
Well, that's better than some other places I could think of o.0**

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2. New Faces

The boy stepped onto the bus, not missing a step as the bus resumed movement. Alice watched him, eyeing his every movement as he made his way down the aisle. His choppy white hair swayed from side to side as he walked, a shoulder bag swinging loosely at his side.

His clothes resembled the seniors around her, a solid white collared shirt and a red tie hanging loosely around his neck. Black pants were clipped by a red belt, a heart serving as the buckle. Now that Alice noticed, the seniors had weird buckles too. They looked like clovers.

He sat down around the middle of the bus, scooting as close as possible to the window. He turned back to look at them, a sour frown plastered over his face. Until he saw Alice, that is. His frown slowly turned to a sweet smile, his gory red eyes less menacing now. Alice smiled at him, feeling somewhat giddy. He peered around the seat, barely noticable, and waved at her. She waved back. He smiled even brighter, then dove behind the seat.

_What a weird kid_, Alice laughed to herself.

The bus was quiet again, only the sounds of the seniors typing on their laptops around her. From the corner of her eye, Alice saw the newest kid beckoning to her, asking her to come over to him. Alice held a finger up, telling him to wait. She put her book down and slipped past Gray, who glanced up with his spine tingling eyes.  
" Watch your step, it's unwise to move while the transit is in motion."

Alice smiled to him." I'll be fine, thanks." She gripped the sides of the seats to keep her balance, getting closer to the kid. His eyes were like red grapefruits, getting bigger every second. He instantly jumped over, leaving her room to sit. She sat next to him and held her hand out. " Hi, I'm Alice. What's your name?" she asked him. His face was beaming with delight." My name's Peter White." He grabbed her hand, holding it tightly in his." Tell me Alice, are you the new student? You must be, I can just tell. Have you chosen electives yet?" he bombarded her with questions, excitement running through his veins." Well, no, I haven't. I am new here, actually, so I don't know what kind of electives they have. I don't know much about the campus either. I'm actually a little nervous." Alice let out a nervous giggle." It's my first time away from home, so it's strange to me," she added. Peter's face was shining like the sun." Oh Alice, you must let me show you around campus! Then we can choose all our electives together!"

_That's so nice of him._

She pulled her hand away, earning a confused face from Peter." That's very kind of you. I probably will need some help if it's not too much trouble." Peter brimmed." No trouble at all! Oh Alice, move your things and come sit by me," Peter squealed happily. Alice sighed." I hope you don't mind, but I like sitting back there. It's very quiet and those guys are really nice," she replied. Peter gaped at her." Nice? My dear, those are seniors. They're everything _but_ nice. They run the school like kings, and no one is allowed to disagree openly with them." Peter frowned at her, but slowly resumed his sunshine smile." Alice, what grade will you be coming in?" Peter questioned. Alice gazed at her hands like they would do the talking for her." Well, I'll be in 9th. Why?" she asked. Peter looked like his heart was growing every minute." Fantastic! We should have a ton of classes together!" he beamed, almost proud of his age.

Alice looked up at him." What grade are you in, Peter?" He smiled at her." 10th. And it just so happens that 9 and 10 are almost always together."

Alice closed her eyes, relieving the pressure behind them." Hey Peter, what can you tell me about them?" Alice asked, glancing back to the seniors. He frowned again." Normally, we give seniors respect because it's their last year, but them, well, let's just say they earned perfect scores on every final exam last year. Now the teachers practically revere them as kings, and all the other morons at this school do the same. After results were sent to the state, they said it was the highest average of perfect scores in the last four decades." Peter gave an annoyed huff. " But I'm sure you'll be like the rest of Student Council and disregard that."

Before Peter could finish another sentence, the bus came to a halt and the door opened. Instead of one or two people, four got on this time.

One was dressed just like Peter, with choppy brown hair, red eyes too. Two were twins, only distinguishable by their eye color and length in hair. Gripping their shoulders was a boy with ridiculously hot pink hair. Two black triangles hung underneath his eyes. The odd group made their way over, sitting down close to them. The boy with the brown hair looked at them, a goofy grin spread over his face. " Hey Peter, who's the new girl?"

Peter glared at him." This is Alice. She is the new student," Peter responded obviously. The brown haired boy grinned brightly." Hiya Alice, the name's Ace," the boy pointed to himself. The identical boys who sat beside him chimed in, pointing to each other." He's Dee," the red eyed boy said," and he's Dum," the blue eyed boy said.  
" Name's Boris Airay," the punk pointed to himself.

"Hello, it's very nice to meet you all," Alice smiled to them." So what grade will ya be in?" Ace asked. Alice held up nine fingers." I'm a freshman," she sighed." Cool, maybe we'll see you around the school," Boris said.

Alice looked around, realizing she didn't have any of her personal items.

_Uh oh, I left all my stuff in the senior's corner._ Her thoughts were interupted when Nightmare appeared next her with a dark brown shoulder bag swinging from the strap in his hand." I think you forgot this," he said smoothly. He placed the bag next to the seat, leaning it against the railing." Heya Nightmare, long time no see," Ace said joyfully. Nightmare sighed." Ace."

Nightmare turned, glancing at Alice before going back to the other seniors. _How odd. He was wearing an eyepatch._

At first she thought she could hear Nightmare's laughter, but brushed it off quickly." So Alice, where will you be staying?" Boris asked, his electric yellow eyes gazing at her." Oh, well, I haven't really decided yet. I'm not sure where they are or what they look like. I don't know where to stay right now," she sighed.

Peter took her hand, a jovial look in his glassy red eyes." Oh Alice, stay in the Heart Red Dorms with me!" Peter cried. Alice pulled away again." I'll just have to wait and see."

The twins laughed." Only a few more stops," they said in unison," then we'll be at the school. Then we can have lots of fun with you, Onee-san."  
Alice giggled. _They're calling me Onee-san, how cute!_

_Maybe this year will be a year worth remembering.  
_

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**Yay! another awful chapter is up! huzzah!**

**who should be next on the never ending bus ride? what dorm should she choose? (pfft, we all know that one, duh!)**


	3. The Ride Continues: Merciless Memories

**Heartland High**

**May this terrible headache and that never ending bus ride rot in a dark hole. THE WORLD IS BETTER WITH OUT YOU BOTH!**

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**3. The Ride Continues; Merciless Memories**

The next 20 minutes were filled with questions, mostly from her new classmates, about herself and the school, class choices and electives, and anything else they could possibly think of. Alice was happy to answer them all, but as her next answer came to her mind, the bus stopped and the door opened. Two more identical boys stepped on, eyes and hair were as red as wine, but they both wore a type of mask like covering over one eye with black and gold designs in the form of an eye. They had rather strange outfits, nothing like the simple collar and tie outfits everyone else was wearing.

One wore a red shirt with a black collar, a sleek gold tie with black triangles trailing down. Black pants were held up by a gold belt, and oddly enough, his buckle was made by the face of comedy. The other boy, however, wore a black shirt with a red collar and a gold tie with black triangles going _up_ his tie. His belt was also different, adorn by the face of tragedy. They made their way over to the conversing group, sitting down with ease. " And who do we have here?" the comedy faced one chimed in. Alice glanced over to him, unsure of what to say." Uh, I'm Alice Liddell, it's very nice to meet you," she replied, holding out her hand. He took it in his, shaking a few times before letting go." Likewise, I am Joker," he smiled to her then pointed to the twin behind him." This is Joker as well, but you can call him Black."

Alice held her hand out, and "Black" took it roughly, then let go. He didn't say anything, just sat down and stared out into space. The other Joker leaned over and whispered to her." Don't mind him, he doesn't fare well with other people, but maybe you'll be the exception." That was all she heard from the Jokers for a long time. Alice leaned back against the seat, staring out through the front window and towards the moving road." Peter, how long is it to the school? Shouldn't we be there by now?" Peter shook his head." The school has a record for being one of the longest bus rides as far as I'm concerned. We might be there in another 2 hours if there's not heavy traffic," he said calmly.

Alice's mouth dropped." 2 hours! Oh, why is the school so far away?" she sighed miserably. Picking her bag up, Alice pulled out her own laptop this time, turned on the power and went to her email. As she had expected, her sister had emailed her in the time she had been gone.  
Alice clicked on the open bar, the email popped up on the screen.

_Alice,_

_It's barely been a few hours and your presence is already missed. It's strange, reading out in the garden alone._  
_I wish for you to email me soon, it would greatly pass the time and I'd like to know more about your new school._

_Forever yours,_  
_Lorina._

Alice sighed. She clicked on the response page and started to type a reply.

_Lorina,_

_I wish I could tell you all about my new school, but it's sad to say it may be at least two more hours before I get anywhere near it. I've already made lots of friends on the bus, they're all so nice and some are even seniors! They all are unique, if you can say that, and have told me so much about the school already. Jobs are allowed and most grades are mixed together, so I'm kinda nervous. I haven't chosen a dorm or electives yet, but I will soon enough._  
_I hope to hear from you soon._

_Your sister,_  
_Alice._

Just as she was about to shut her laptop for good, a beeping sound came from the machine. Alice clicked on her email and saw a URL she didn't recognize. Alice opened the message and started to read.

_Alice,_

_Forgive me from earlier. The start of a new year is always hectic, especially for the final year for someone like myself. I would like to welcome you to Heartland High, it's a school I'm sure you will enjoy. I'm told that all new students will recieve a guide to show them around campus. If it's any consolation, I'd like to help you around for the first few days. The campus is a place to get lost in if your not careful, it's size is remarkable. If you're interested, wait at the front gate once we arrive and I'll help you from there on._

Alice glanced around. _Who would have sent me this?_ Whoever it was obviously was a senior, that much she realized. _I'll see when we get there._

The bus stopped abruptly, the brakes screeching horribly. Another boy stepped on, and Alice's heart stopped all together.  
_Is that my.. my.._

The boy strode past the group and took a seat close to the senior bunk. Another boy got on too, his appearance was a fresh wake up call from Alice's former thoughts. He was about to pass when Alice grabbed his arm. She stood up, but he was still towering over her." Excuse me, who is that?" she glanced over to the previous boy, then back to this one. What once was a frightening glare turned to a friendly smile." That's Blood Dupre," he answered, then pulled away from her grasp.

Alice plopped back down, a look of relief and pain washed over her face. Peter inched as close as possible, his side pressed hard against hers.  
" Alice, what's wrong! Why are you sad?"

Alice shook her head." It's nothing. That boy back there reminds me of someone I used to know," Alice closed her eyes, recalling the painful memories of her past. _I thought this school would help me get away from those awful memories, but they follow me wherever I go._ Alice put her hand to her head, feeling the strong headache coming on. The headache passed, as did a certain someone's footsteps.

Alice glanced to the side." Nightmare, what are you doing down here?" she asked. He sat behind her, a strange smile plastered across his mouth. He leaned close to whisper in her ear." Headaches are frequent on this bus, so I'll stay with you until we arrive."

Alice ignored him, laying her head on the caressing headrest. Her eyes were heavy. She hadn't slept well last night, mostly due to her anticipation for school, and that was finally catching up to her.

It_'s still 2 hours away. A little sleep couldn't hurt, could it?_

Nightmare was still at her ear, a low laugh escaped his lips." A lot can kill you," he murmured.

Th_e school year will do that before my sleep does._

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**Ugh, this chapter was so freakin' hard! And I still don't know why~**

**I forbid the removal of Nightmare's mind reading! It goes along so well with the story.**

**What should happen next? Any ideas?**


	4. Dorm Decision

**Heartland High**

**OMG, the bus ride from hell is finally over! can you believe it? In case you hadn't noticed, I really want this to be story that you guys write with your own ideas (it's an interesting concept) it takes more thinking when you combine your idea with someone elses~**

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**4. Dorm Decision**

Like she had predicted, Alice spent the remaining bus ride sleeping. While she had been asleep, they had picked up more students, or so she had been told. And while the school came into view, Alice tried to find them all.

In the back a woman with gorgeous violet ringlets sat. She wore a gown-like dress in a deep shade of red with long draping sleeves. She held a single red rose in her crossed hands, her nails painted a hypnotizing purple, just like her eyes.

Another man had joined the senior's area. He wore a light yellow collared shirt with a silky blue tie. His fiery red hair was short in the front but a braid hung loosely over his shoulder. Small spectacles sat on his nose, and a light blue belt was clipped by a yellow diamond buckle.

Joining them in their little circle, a boy with auburn hair and emerald eyes was talking to anyone that would listen. He had one streak of solid gold running through his slick hair. His green collared shirt and reddish-brown tie matched his shoulder bag, and he too wore a yellow diamond belt buckle holding up a light brown belt.

Alice would have gone up and greeted them if there wasn't so much hustling around and bag retrieval. She grabbed her shoulder bag and stood up, stretching out her arms and legs. Glancing over, she saw Peter rubbing his eyes, trying to wake himself up. Alice stepped out into the aisle and headed back towards the seniors. Nightmare followed close behind her, getting ready to obtain his items as well. Alice collected her books she had left behind and headed to the front to exit the bus. Several people followed close behind her, including Peter, Ace, Julius, and Boris. Alice stood there while everyone else headed towards the magnificent gated entrance.

The bus engine roared and the transit moved away, leaving nothing but smoke to greet Alice. It slowly cleared away and Alice saw a dark figure standing next to her. Glancing up, she recognized the face easily." Gray! Were you the one who sent me that email? How did you get my email address?"

Gray smiled." I have my ways, now let's get you settled in," he replied. He started walking and Alice quickly followed him, adjusting herself to his pace. They passed through a gated archway decorated with a Victorian themed heart concept.

The school was a glory of it's own, a campus engulfed in mazes with rose covered archways and tiled floors with clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades. Buildings were practically touching the sky as lights in the forms of all kinds of flowers were strung across balconies and rooftops. The sun was fading and the hanging lights started to flicker. Fountains with the tragedy and comedy faces were spurting water in the air as rose briars slithered up their sides. Ribbons hung from pillars and columns like it was a castle, statues of spades and diamonds scattered around the area. Beautiful roses and tulips sat in heart shaped pots and covered the sides of buildings.

Alice stared at the wondrous school, her mind running wildly in circles. _How does anyone know where they're going?_ Gray tapped her shoulder." Ready?" he asked. Alice managed a nod, and Gray took her by the arm and pulled her towards the school.

Like the outside, the inside was just as spectacular. The walls and floor were tiled with light and dark reds, gold tassels and streamers holding red draping curtains up. The windows were breath-taking, forming a circle made from hearts, spades, clubs, and diamonds out of a lovely red glass filling. The stairways were covered in the center by a long red carpet, almost like a cat walk. Gray and Alice made their way up the stairs, Alice stumbling several times before reaching the top.

" Hey Gray, aren't we supposed to turn in slips to the front office?" Alice asked. " Only after you find a room. Technically, there are no slips. All you do is tell them the room number then a key gets delivered to you the next day," he replied. " But until then, allow me to show you the dorms. They all have different appeals, so I'm sure you'll find one you like."

First they came to a long green hallway. Several doors were lined up side by side, each painted a soft but deep shade of green with a dark club (or clover) in the middle. " As you can see, these are the Club Green dorms. Let me show you the inside." They walked to the last four in the very back of the hallway. Gray twisted the knob and pushed the door open, and standing inside was Julius." What do you want?" he glared.  
" Just showing Alice the dorms, you don't mind, do you?" Julius turned his back to them, and Gray pushed her inside the room.

It was simple. A plain wooden room with a green carpet at the foot of the green covered bed. A tiny shelf sat beside the bed with a clover shaped lamp. A dresser was across from the bed, complete with shelves and a mirror. And what impressed Alice the most was each room having it's own personal bathroom. Now that was something she could get used to.  
" Are you finished gawking yet?" Gray laughed at her. Alice laughed too." Yes, I am."  
Gray put a hand on her shoulder and turned her to the door." Now for the others."

The other dorms were exciting, Alice would say that much. The Heart Red Dorms were all a light red with a long wooden bed with dark red sheets and heart shaped pillows. The dresser was an elaborate victorian theme made from a dark type of wood. A dresser sat in the corner and a bathroom off to the right.

The Spade Blue Dorms were elegant, with swirls of light and dark blue on the walls. Solid sheets of white were spread over a bed of wooden beauty as soft baby blue carpets covered the rooms.

The Diamond Yellow Dorms were something else. Bright yellow walls were covered with what looked like someone had splashed pink paint on them. Blue spirals were coming out of the walls, creating a dresser like atmosphere. Bright yellow bed sheets were clashing with equally bright pink diamond shaped pillows.

Alice narrowed down her options. The Heart Red Dorms were nice, but something about them just threw her off. Diamond Yellow,_ please_. Like that would let her sleep at night. The Spade Blue dorms seem really nice, but so do the Club Green Dorms.

Right now they were standing in the hallway of Spade Blue. Alice was about to tell Gray her answer when _he _walked by and entered one of the rooms._ He's staying here? In these dorms? There's no way I can stay if he's here!_

Alice shook her head roughly. Gray looked down at her, unsure of her brash actions." So, what do you think?"

She glanced up at him." I think I'll stay in the Club Green dorms. They really remind me of home, and something about them is so comfortable." Gray smiled down at her." Well, I hope you have a nice stay, neighbor."

_Neighbor. At least they won't throw me around like dirt.._

_... will they?_

_

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**Nice one, Blood _**

**You just screwed yourself away from your future love interest! Oops, gave away too much!  
On the bright side, Nightmare, Gray, and Julius have her all to themselves**

**And yes, I'm working on Turn Back the Hands of Time as we speak~**


	5. Rude People are my Best Friends

**Heartland High**

**Wonderful. Another juicy long chapter for you all :) **

**People tell me I don't have magic, but obviously Alice does. She can make people cry! And she's a total marshmellow!**

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**5. Rude People are my Best Friends**

Alice, unlike what she had been told by many, got her key then and there. Alright, room 513 is my dorm. I guess I should go drop off my stuff. As Alice made her way back up the royal stairway, an intercom blaired out of nowhere.

**All students grades 9-11 report to the cafeteria. All students in grade 12 report to the observatory. That is all.**

_Uh oh, I better hurry if I want to get there in time._ Alice dashed up the stairs and into the hallway of Club Green. _510, 511, 512, here we go._ She shoved the key into the bolt and twisted it sideways. The door swung open and Alice threw her bags on the bed. She locked it behind her, hanging the soft green lanier around her neck. She sprinted down the hallway, nearly fell down the stairs, and finally stopped when she got to the entrance of the school. _Oh, where do I go now?_

"Alice~" a voice called to her. She turned around, only to see Peter jogging towards her." Alice, let's go to the cafeteria together~" "Alright. I'm totally lost anyway," she smiled at him. He led her down a long corridor with one or two classroomes on each side. The walls were covered in red and gold, and an unbelievable heart shaped pattern ( the kingdom hearts cover) spread along the walls. As her breath was running short, Alice saw a large brown double-door coming into view. Spades formed windows and door hinges were strapped on by diamonds. Peter pushed through the brown doors and pulled Alice along with him. _This school is perfect._

Huge smooth bricks of tan clashed against warm red tiled floors. Long tables sat in the middle, and off to the side were several 4-seater tables.  
Lots of kids were already there. Lots of..

_Oh my.. where are their faces?_

Alice glanced around. None of them had faces except.. all the kids she rode with on the bus." Peter, what's going on here?" Alice shook it off, gaining Peter's attention." What do you mean? What _is_ going on here? I don't see anything wrong." " Uh.. nevermind. I'm totally fine," she lied. Peter was about to ask her another question when a slightly taller man appeared behind Alice. Peter jerked her back behind himself, glaring at the taller man before him. Alice took in his appearance. _That was one of the kids on the bus._

His wavy orange locks barely touched his shoulders and had an unatural shine. And his eyes were a deep mezmerizing purple. His white collared shirt was touched by a loosely hanging tie in a shade of light orange. His black pants were clipped by a light orange belt with a black spade buckle.

" Something wrong, White?" the taller man asked, almost threatening." Peter, who is that?" Alice asked from behind." Nobody important," he replied smugly. Peter grabbed Alice's arm and started marching away when the other man grabbed Alice's available arm." Sorry, White. I need to borrow your girlfriend if you don't mind." He started pulling Alice away, but turned around briefly." Which I don't care if you do or not." He grabbed Alice's shoulder and thrusted her into the maze of faceless people, pushing against her back to make her move faster. It worked and they both lost Peter. Alice pushed his arm away and glared at him.

" Why did you do that?" she snapped." Look pal, I don't know who you think you are, and it doesn't really matter who you are, you don't get the right to treat people like garbage and you don't get to just appoint youself better than somebody. And quit touching me, you pervert! You know, I was always told to be a nice and kind person but it's guys like you that make me sick! Who do you honestly think you are! Some king of the school or something? Or do you get that from other jerks you hang around? I SAID QUIT TOUCHING ME!"

Alice brutally smacked his arm away, pushing him off to the closest pillar." What do you want with me anyw-" Alice stopped mid sentence.  
_Is he gonna c-cry?_

His face was an embarrassed red, his eyes were brimming like polished glass. He may have cried then and there." I-uh, I'm.. sorry. That was wrong of me to go off like that," she responded, holding out her hand to him. In all honesty, she was still furious, but it wasn't in her nature to make someone cry, let alone make someone cry and not make amends. He slowly and reluctantly reached out for her hand, trying to steady his shaking. Their palms connected." I'm Alice. What's your name?" The man brushed his glossy orange hair way from his face.

" I'm Elliot. Elliot March." Alice huffed out a sigh." I-I didn't mean to make you mad you know, it's just me and the mor-I mean Peter, have a little bit of a past. Sorry if I made you upset or anything."

Alice bit her lip. _He's so cute!_ " Well, forgive and forget as they say," she replied." Alice... Alice.. you wouldn't be Alice Liddell, would you?" Alice shook her head and Elliot's frown turned to a bright smile." So you're the new kid! What grade you going in?" Alice patted her head. " Freshman," she held up nine fingers. Elliot tilted his head." Man, that's too bad. Thought we might have all our classes together. Dang."  
" Uh, what?"

_What is he talking about?_

Elliot scratched his head." Grades around here are pretty secluded except in certain areas. Nine and ten stick together, and eleven and twelve stick together. Only in certain classes do they mix it up and toss around different grades. Pretty boring if you ask me."

" So classes aren't mixed together?" Alice placed a finger under her chin." Not really. In the little classes like cooking and reading groups they'll mix it up, but in any other time it's rare to see a senior in a sophmore class or a freshman in a class with juniors. Just the way the like it, I guess."

Amidst his ranting about classes, Alice put her hand up." What grade are you in, Elliot?" He smirked, but it slowly turned to a frown." I'm a junior. Eleventh," he sighed." See. We won't have that many classes together." Alice felt sad for a minute.

_That really is too bad. Even though he was a total jerk to Peter, Elliot is a really cute person. I think he'll be a fantastic friend._

The intercom came on again, the same voice boomed out through the school.

**Welcome back students. It's good to see you all again on the prestigious Heartland High School of Arts. I know that several of the students here are new, and the fact that you've all brought your supplies for a year. As many second and third years know, your first few days at the academy will be nothing but finding your classrooms and dorms and recognizing the campus grounds. I ask that seniors and juniors all help new students find any places of need or interest, and that you all have another spectacular year here at Heartland High. Now, if you will all line up at the front desk, schedules and extra dorm keys will be passed out. Thank you. That will be all.**

" Ah geez, now we gotta wait for a piece of paper." Elliot sat down on on of the four seater tables and gestured for Alice to come sit beside him. She did as told, sitting back in the luxurious red chair. _Why can't every school have backrests like this one?_

" So what school did you go to before this one?" Elliot asked. Alice glanced at him." Sacred Heart Institute of Art and Literature. "Ahh. A former rival," Elliot laughed." Well, from now on you're one of us." With that, Elliot left her and went to the front office. He came back just as quick, holding two pieces of paper." Here ya go," he gave her a toothy grin. She took the paper and smiled." Thank you."

Glancing down at their papers, Alice read her schedule. They were classes she enjoyed and were good at."Alice, what's your schedule? Let's see if we have any classes together," Elliot's jovial tone was like a reminder from home, something Alice really like about him. " What part?" Elliot thought for second.  
"Secondary," he replied.

She read them in order.

"Drama,  
Poetic Literature,  
Culinary,  
Art,  
World Events,  
Trademark Styles,  
and Reading,"

A smile smeared over Elliot's face." Looks like fate is on our side. We got one.. two..three.. five classes!"  
"Hey Newbie!" two voices called from behind them. Alice glanced around the corner as two indentical boys came into view. " Oh, hello, Dee. Hello Dum, how are you?" Alice greeted them. Elliot glared at the two, but held his lip in regards for Alice.

" Onee-san, why are you with Newbie-hare? You should come hang out with us!" they exclaimed. Alice sighed, but brought up a smile. " Well, I have to go right now, but I'd love to spend time with you later." Elliot grinned brightly and slapped a hand on her shoulder." Then you've got to spend time with me too, we're all in the same dorm."

Alice smiled brightly as she skipped away from the trio. As she neared the door, she turned back to the three boys, all still standing there. " Hey! What dorm are you in?" she yelled as loud as she could. Through the echoes of her voice, she heard them yell something about a spade, so she guessed they were in Spade Blue.

_Maybe I'll visit them once classes start._

_

* * *

_

**Another chapter done. I'm liking the way this is going so far. **

**By the way, what kind of events should the school have? I already have Prom all planned out (you'll pee on yourself laughing about it) **

**Dances, field trips, vacations. What do you guys think?**


	6. A Big Secret

**Heartland High**

**I have come back from the dead~ Technically I'm having a snow day and there's no school, yay! And even though it might take longer I think chapters will come more frequently now that school has started again.  
It's like a horrible reminder :(**

* * *

**6. A Big Secret**

Alice sat in her soft green room, flipping through her multiple bags, trying to find all the things she needed to be fully unpacked. _Classes start in two days, which gives me 48 hours to learn more about the campus and classes. This school year might not be so bad after all._

Amidst her thoughts of the people and places she had yet to learn about, a knock came from the door. Alice placed the books in her arms on the bed, strolling over to the door with her key in hand." Who is it?" she asked." It's Peter," a male voice replied. Unlocking her door, Alice cracked it slightly to see his face." Hi Peter, did you need something?"

" Oh Alice, why did you stay here? You should have stayed in the Heart Red Dorms with me," Peter sighed sadly. But that sad face immediately disappeared." Having you here is better than not having you at all," he decided out loud. Alice laughed and opened the door wider, beckoning him to come inside." These dorms are so strange," he said. Alice laughed at him with a puzzled face." Strange? If you want strange, look at those Diamond Yellow dorms. Now they are a little on the strange side." Peter smiled.

Going back to sit on her bed, Alice pulled out her schedule she had recieved from Elliot. Peter's face lit up as he dove beside her and eyed her schedule." Oh, how wonderful! 5 classes together! And they aren't even the main courses." Peter's joyful prancing around the room made Alice giggle. Pulling out her laptop, Alice clicked on her desktop's email and scanned some recent messages she had gotten. _3 messages, why do I have three?_

Peter watched her with red eagle eyes as she clicked away from the messages." Aren't you going to read them?" he asked curiously." I will once I settle in," she responded. Suddenly, a thought hit Alice like a brick." Hey Peter, why are you here? I don't mean to sound rude or anything, but why did you come so suddenly?"

Peter gave her a dreadedful look and leaned in close to her." I came to warn you about Freshman Initiation Day. It's the worst day of the year for a freshman. Or, one of the worst anyway. Please be mindful of your surroundings, my dear." Alice seemed deep in thought at his reason for being here." Wait, what's Freshman Initiation?" she wondered aloud. Peter cleared his throat." It's the first day of the new school year, and one of the most dreadful days. All day long, seniors spread terror by playing horrible pranks and tricks on the new students. And sadly, my dear, _you_ are the only new student this year. However, you can avoid this if you stay in your dorm all day. It's a decision the head of the school allows, but it doesn't excuse you of classwork."

Alice returned to her thoughts." So I could stay in my room all day, but I would still have the schoolwork? That doesn't sound too bad, but I don't think I want to spend the first day of school avoiding everyone. I want to get out and see everybody and meet the teachers. And a harmless prank or two won't hurt any, will it?"

As Peter went to respond, another knock came from the door." Another guest? Who is it this time?" Alice asked. As she went to the door, Peter smiled to himself. _She calls us guests, that's so cute!_ His smile instantly vanished when he saw their newest "guest". Alice smiled and opened the door wider for him to step in." It's been a while, hasn't it Nightmare?" Alice greeted him. Nightmare stood in the doorway, leaning on the baseboards." Far too long, Alice. I take it everything has been going well since you arrived?" he asked, his lone silver eye catching Peter, who sat alone on the bed." And what about you Peter? How has campus life been treating you so far?"

Peter glared at him and stood up, strutting over to Alice." I'll see you soon, my dear." Without another word, he left the two alone.

" How rude! The least he could have done was answer your question." Nightmare walked around her and sat down on the bed." He has his reasons for leaving, just like the others do," Nightmare sighed. _Others? Who are the others?_

" People you met earlier. Peter, the twins, Boris, Elliot. They don't like me for several reasons. And the main reason is on the tip of your tongue, I'm sure." Alice thought hard for a moment, but it still didn't come to her." I can read minds, if you didn't understand." Alice stared at him, and let out a low giggle." Is this a part of Freshman Initiation or something? You had me going for a second," Alice laughed. Nightmare sighed." That's what they all think." Alice glanced at him." Nightmare, you sound sad. What's wrong?" she asked.

He clasped his palms together, his chin resting against his knuckles." It's nothing to worry about," he replied. Alice's brows formed a crevice as she strode to the bed and sat beside him." I won't demand it or anything, but you can always tell me about your problems. I'll try to help you if there's anything I can do," she sighed. Nightmare looked at her, his silver eye practically pleading." If I told you.. you wouldn't run away? You wouldn't ignore me and pretend I'm not there?" he asked. Alice looked like she could slap him." What? Of course not! We're friends, aren't we?"

" Alice, think of something personal, something that happened in your life. I'll tell you exactly what you're thinking," he said dramatically. Alice placed a hand on her chin and thought for a moment." Okay, I've got one." Nightmare looked at her, his expression growing sad.

" I'm sorry for your loss. You must miss her, don't you?"

Alice thought of another moment from her past." Lorina. That's a nice name. You two must be close," he assumed. Alice eyes widened with shock as she leaned in closer to him." Nightmare, you can read minds! That's amazing! Was it something you were born with?" all her questions made him shake with surprise." You.. don't think I'm a freak?"

Alice smiled at him." There's a lot about you I don't understand, but I think mind-reading isn't something to be ashamed of. It should be something to be proud of. How many other people can say that and it actually be true?"

Nightmare smiled at her." You are a very strange girl." She giggled." Am I the one who can read minds?" she retorted. After a minute of silence, they both broke out in laughter." I'm very happy you roomed here. It's like having her around."

Alice picked up the books from her bed and started placing them on the table beside her bed." Her? Who is her?" Nightmare flopped back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling." My little sister."

" Oh, you have a little sister? I bet she's really cute," Alice responded, thinking about the little girl." What does she look like?" " Mother always was right when she said we looked alike. Her hair was as long as yours in a gorgeous shade of silver, and she always wore a light blue sundress everywhere she went. She was so cute. She was a few years younger than you, but you both look so alike," he answered.

" Once the school year is over and we leave for summer, you'll get to see her again. She probably gets really excited when you come home," Alice laughed. When Lorina would come home after a job or from school related activities, Alice had always been excited to have her home. They would immediately go to the garden and read and play little games and talk. It was such a wonderful time of day for Alice.

" She used to be," he moaned softly." Huh? Used to be? What happened?"

A single crystal tear slipped down Nightmare's cheek. He wiped it away as his face turned a soft shade of red. "She was killed," his voice replied. The air grew stagnant as Alice turned to him, concern smothered all over her face." I'm so sorry. You two must have been very close." For a moment, Nightmare smiled at the recent memories that came back to him." It was horrible. There was so much blood," he whispered." I wish there was something I could do for you Nightmare, but I don't think there is. I can't just take," Alice thought of the girl's name." Yume," Nightmare finished." I can't just take Yume's place. The only thing I can say to you is to remember her the way she was. That's what I did when my mother died. I didn't cry at her funeral because she hated tears. I always remember the good things we did together because that's want she would want me to do, not live off the sadness it made me endure."

Leaning up, Nightmare glanced down at her." Perhaps you are right. I can see why Hatter is so intersted in you. After looking into his thoughts, it seems he's going to find alone time with you. I would have let you known sooner, but that ridiculous observatory meeting sucked the life out of everyone." He stood up and headed for the door and before he left, Nightmare turned back to Alice." You really can make someone feel better about themself." Alice smiled at him." I'll have to play a horrible trick on you for Freshman Initiation," he laughed.

* * *

Sunlight filtered through the emerald green curtains, slithering up towards Alice's face. She dove under the lime green covers to avoid the brightness, her head pounding with an oncoming pain. _The first day of school is tomorrow and I still have tons of unpacking to do. But I guess I deserve it after procrastinating in my dorm all day._ Leaning up, Alice let the thick wooly blankets slide down her shoulders. She reached over to her bedside desk and picked up her laptop. _I still have 3 unread messages from yesterday. Better take a look at those before I forget._

Alice clicked on her messages. _7 unread messages! I don't know these people, how did they get my email? Gray got my email and I wasn't anywhere near him. This'll be interesting._

Clicking on the first of the messages, a new page opened up and Alice started to read.

_Alice,_

_You must inform me about your school. How does it look? Beautiful? Horrid? What are the teachers there like? What classes are you taking? How many friends have you made? What do the dorms look like? You must tell me as soon as possible. Suspense isn't something I enjoy as you well know, and I don't like the fact that you'll be gone on the holidays either. That, to me, is by far unreasonable, but it's for your education and that's what's best._

_Forever yours,_  
_Lorina._

Alice smiled. _Geez Lorina, I don't think you have enough questions._

She clicked on the next message. Another URL she didn't know, but easily recognized who had written it.

_Dear Alice,_

_I hope you'll forgive me about yesterday. Seniors creep me out more than you'll ever know. I hope you had a wonderful first night here. The rooms get more comfortable as time goes on, just to let you know. Freshman Initaition is tomorrow, and I'm dreading all the things those horrid people are thinking about doing to you. It makes me so mad, but if you stay in your room you'll be just fine. I'm looking forward to class for once in my life, and it's all thanks to you~_

_Best Friends Forever,_  
_Peter White._

Peter and Lorina didn't waist time. That was a fact. But the next email was what really surprised her.

_Alice,_

_I don't have much to say. This message was basically forced. However, if there is anything you need during your stay here, you can ask me anytime you want._

_Julius M._

Alice raised her brows in surprise. _I thought he hated me. Well, mother always said things can change at the drop of a hat. _She clicked her next next message.

_Onee-san!_

_We want you to come to our dorm once school starts! It'll be fun like a sleepover during the day time._  
_Love,_  
_Dee and Dum._

Alice burst out in a fit of laughter. _How can anybody be so cute!_

The next message was familiar in its own way, and again, made Alice think of home.

_Hey Alice,_

_Sorry about that fling the other day. Hope your not mad at me. Anyway, I was thinking that we could get together sometime and hang out. Tomorrow is the first day of misery and after going here for two years, all I can say is be ready for a crap load of work. We could partner up and if you want I'll tutor you in art. I heard it was your weakest subject so let me know if you want to hook up sometime._

_Elliot M._

Alice blushed. So that's the real Elliot. I knew he would be cute inside. _Wait.. how did he know art was my weakest subject? Either way, 2 more messages. Who is this one from?_

_Hey Alice,_

_I didn't get to talk with you much on the bus. You and me should hang out sometime, ya know? Well, I have to go torture my dorm neighbors now. Even if they aren't freshmen, a good prank never gets old, right?_

_Your pal,_  
_Boris._

Alice shook her head. _That's so Boris. Okay, the last message._

_Alice,_

_You seem to be avoiding me. Is there any reason why? When we were on the bus and I walked by, I noticed you were staring at me. I must say, gawking is a little.. naughty. Don't you agree? Aside from that, I, unlike everyone else, have not had a moment with you. That's a little unfair, don't you think? In spite of this, today is our last day off before school, so I would like to meet you by the Twin Rose Fountains at noon. I hope there aren't any inconviences, that would be a shame. I look forward to our time together._

_Forever Yours,_  
_Blood Dupre._

Alice's fingers froze over the keyboard. _That's so.. CREEPY! I haven't even started school and now I have a personal stalker. That's great._

Closing her laptop and placing it on the desk, Alice rose from her bed and went to her closet. She had put all her clothes in before she went to bed last night, and was now peering through the clothes, trying to find a nice outfit to wear. She pulled out a soft blue t-shirt with and some white knee length shorts. Naturally, everything Alice ever wore was baggy, mostly because of her unusually skinny frame. She clipped the clasps of her soft blue sandals together and placed the green lanier around her neck. Her fingers wound around the doorknob and she twisted open and stepped out in the hall. While standing in the hall, Alice saw all the seniors crowding around a corner.

Julius held a laptop in his hands and typed ferociously at the keys while Gray and Nightmare gathered around him.

" That's perfect!" she heard Nightmare cry." It's interesting to say the least, but will it work?" Gray pondered. But before Alice could get anywhere near them, Nightmare had sensed her presence and persuaded them to leave. As the three walked down the hall, Gray turned to look at her for a brief moment before heading down the stairs to the cafeteria.

" What was that about?" Alice asked herself out loud. Deciding to explore the campus further, Alice skipped down the stairs and headed away from the cafeteria and out to the garden. It was beautiful and the scent of roses drifted on the wind."Oh, I should have brought a book to read."

Alice sat on a smooth marble bench and looked at the area around her. _This place is so beautiful. Why can't all schools be like this?_

Looking around, Alice saw a smooth stone fountain spurting water. The water was falling from the petals of two roses, tangled together by a single stem. _That must be the Twin Rose Fountain. I have to meet Blood here at noon, but that's hours from now. I have to meet him here, but why am I so anxious at the thought?_

Her anxious thoughts were interupted by two voices calling her name." Alice onee-san! Alice onee-san!" The twin boys ran up to her, sandwiching her on both side in a hug." Now we don't have to wait for school! We get to have you all to ourselves!" they cried. Alice would have smiled if she hadn't been gasping for air." L-l-let go," she stammered. The two boys released the girl from their grasp, their eyes wide with happiness." Boss saw you sitting down here so he told us to go get you, so that means we don't get to spend time with you anymore," Dum sighed." That's not fair!" Dee cried. Before Alice could say a word, the sound of a piano and flute duet filled the air. Dee reached into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone." Yeah Boss? We know, we know. We're coming okay, hang on." He ended the call and looked at his brother." Boss is so impatient these days. Come on Onee-san!"

They pulled the girl away from the bench and trudged towards to school." Where are we going?" Alice asked. "To Boss's room. He wants to see you," they replied. They pulled her back to the exact same spot she had been earlier and now they were casually walking down the hallway to the Spade Blue Dorms. Alice looked at the room number. _707. Wait, the number 7 is bad luck in Japan, isn't it?_

The boys knocked on the door and stated why they were there. The door slowly twisted open, but nobody had opened it. _This is seriously creeping me out._

The three entered the room and Alice's legs turn into jelly as she fell to the floor.

_Why is he here? Why is he here?_

* * *

**So now the real fun begins! Readers, I need your help to create a bio for every role holder~**

**Why are they attending Heartland High?  
What are their relations with their family?  
What occupation do they want to go into?**

Just a little food for thought if you want to try and help me think of them. I'm almost always on Fanfiction these days so let me know whenever you want~


	7. A New Perspective

**Heartland High**

**Hiya guys. Been a while. Like I said, school is keeping me from updating more frequently, but I have good question for you all. Which story should have my attention? Which one should I focus on more than the others? **

**Anyway, while you decide that, I ask that you pay extensive attention to the dialogue here. It answers the basic questions of why the characters are here or gives a background of their lives. Please note, I was listening to Children of Bodom's If You Want Peace... Prepare For War while writing this, and I couldn't help but make them sad. ANYWAY.. if you don't catch everything, just look at the very bottom of the chapter. It gives a basic summary of everybody's stand-point.**

* * *

**7. A New Perspective; My Eyes Have Been Opened**

The room was dark, the faint color of blue swirling against the walls. Alice's mouth dropped when the twins shoved her into the room and slammed the door behind her, leaving her alone. Looking back towards the window, a silhouette stood there, a shadow hiding it's face from the world. The misty shadow turned to her as a pair of silvery-blue eyes gazed her way, completely mezmerized.

" So you're that Alice everyone was talking about. I can see why very easily. You are quite the diamond in the rough," his glassy voice said.

The shady figure stepped forward, enclosing her hands in his." I trust you recieved my email?" he questioned.  
She nodded her head.

" Very well, then. It is a pleasure to meet you, Alice. My name is Dupre. Blood Dupre, at your service."

Alice pulled hands away, uncomfortable at his touch." Nice to meet you, too," she stammered. What a perfect predicament. How was she supposed to get out of this one?

Heading towards the bookshelf on the back wall, Blood's fingers skimmed from title to title." Tell me, Alice, what made you come to Heartland High? It's certainly not a place for just anyone, you know. I just don't see you fitting in with everyone else. Something about you is so.. different."

Feeling somewhat insulted, Alice stayed in the darkness of the corner, hiding her angered face." I can't be that different. School is school. Prestigious or not," she countered.

" How do you know?"

" Excuse me?"

" How. Do. You. Know?" he pronounced each word clearly as though he were talking to a child." I beg your pardon? If I don't know, then why don't you enlighten me?" she smirked behind the darkness.

" If you wish, but you may not like what you hear," a laugh rose up from his throat.

" I'm sure you've met the seniors, and yes, they may seem trustworthy and kind, but don't fall for that innocent facade."

_What is he talking about? What facade?_

A sound of wire filled her ears as Blood gently sat down on his bed. There wasn't a kind aura to this guy, that much she was sure of. She sat down on a spade shaped stool, pressing it against the corner.

" Let me give you one word of advice. Assassination."

The word rang through her ears like a high pitched bell." Assassination? What on earth are you talking about?"

" Why, the Ringmarc boy, of course. Who else? He was quite the killer in his day, and is still capable. It's just a shame he threw it all away just to come to this pointless school. Does he really believe he can throw his past away and pretend it never happened?" Blood wasn't really talking to her anymore, but more to himself.

" Your unbelievable! How dare you make up such an atrocious lie about Gray! You don't know anything!" she snapped at him. Blood, while having been at his bookshelf, had pulled out a sleek manila folder with several stacks of paper held together by paperclips, and was now flipping through them one by one as to prove some kind of point to her." No, my dear. It's _you_ who doesn't know anything."

After an awkward silence, Blood resumed his speech.

" I'll thank you _not_ to interrupt me again. And I'm sure your probably wondering about this," he grinned, folding up the manila folder." Like I was saying, he was quite the murderer back then, but for whatever reason, he decided to just give it all up and come here. And I have several thoughts about those other two, I assure you."

" As far as I'm concerned, Mr. Gottschalk doesn't have much of an interesting past, however, there is one juicy little detail I just had to look in to. If you didn't know this before, you do now, but his younger sister was brutally murdered a few years ago. If I'm correct with my research, she was beaten to death, but I don't know why or who committed it. I do know that during my 7th grade year, him being in 8th, he was absent from school for over two weeks at best. Had it not been for his astounding book smarts, he would have been held back immediately. And then there's Mr. Monrey. He certainly is an interesting fellow."

_Good God, where did he get all this stuff!_

" According to my research, his father died in prison for domestic violence. He was left alone with a beaten family to look after, him being the only one with enough health to work. He also has a little brother and a little sister. His mother, well, all I can say is they aren't on the best of terms with each other after she became a street walker."

Alice couldn't help but interrupt again." You mean a.. p-prostitute?" she swallowed hard. " Precisely," he answered. Knowing that, even though this wasn't something someone of her nature would do, it was the only chance she had to learn more about the other kids without prying into their lives, and she didn't have anything better to do, so why not?

" Now that those clover clustered freaks are out of the way, why don't we move on to another category, hm? And the next one would be," he skimmed through the endless files that scattered from the folder," Mr. Peter White. This should be interesting. I haven't looked at his for quiet some time. His was rather.. complicated. By complicated, I mean his family affairs. If you thought Nightmare or Julius had it bad you should see his. Anyway, it seems he came from a violent family. And really, the only way to get away from them was to come here. His mother and father were always out, clubbing and whatnot, leaving him and his older sister alone. And apparently, his older sister was quite the drinker herself. She would often leave him by himself to go out and party with her friends. On a good night, she would come home at curfew and lock him in the closet without any slapping. I'd hate to imagine a bad night, wouldn't you?"

_None of that can be true.. it can't! He's lying!_

" Ace didn't have much of a past to go on. Nobody knows where he lived or was born, or how he got into the school. And if I'm right about the background checks, he doesn't even have a real last name. He just gave himself the last name Knight. As to family ties, as far as I know he has none."

Another quick ruffling of papers filled the stagnant air." Mr. Airay doesn't have much to go on, nor does Mr. Villiers. Boris was sent here just to avoid prison and Pierce was basically kicked out so he had nowhere better to go than here. Maybe he wanted to make friends," Blood let a dark chuckle escape his lips.

_This guy.. he's such a creep!_

" The twins were somewhat fun to look through, seeing as how they were sent to juvie. According to neighbors, they practiced playing with things like pistols and fireworks, and on special occasions, homemade pipe bombs and other small explosives. The orphanage couldn't handle them any longer so they had to call 911. And then here's my personal favorite," Blood chimed softly.

" Elliot was quite the bi-polar child growing up, and still is today. I could go on for hours about the things I've seen him do and the way his moods change drastically. It's good to have him around when you need entertainment. He's become rather good at suppressing the bi-polar disorder, but sometimes things still slip by. And if I may give you some useful information; he's in my debt, or so he believes, so _DO NOT _get in his way if he thinks I need any help of some kind, you'll regret it instantly."

Alice pondered Elliot's disorder. _So that's why he lashed out at Peter so suddenly. And when I confronted him, he almost cried. But, wait a sec._  
" Why is Elliot in debt to you?"

" He thinks he is, but in truth, he's done nothing more but serve me since the day I met him. His parents were horrified by the mood swings, and after they had tried as hard as they could to keep him in a safe environment, it was a fruitless effort. The sent him to a mental institution and he lived there until about 4 years ago. I was doing charity work with a youth group and I saw him there. Naturally, my curiosity spiked and I had to learn more about him. What was so interesting was that his room was bolted shut with locks and chains and the window in the door had a plank of wood nailed over it. That's enough to tell anything you would want to know."

" Here's a good one, though not as good as Elliot." Blood paused for effect." Mary Gowland," he whispered. "Merry-Go-Round?" Alice repeated." That's Gowland's first name. Rather pathetic if you ask me. What kind of parents name their son after a girl's name? But as far as I know, Mary has a nice clean image. He's well known among classmates and doesn't have any enemies in particular,_ except one."_

" Who?"

" You'll find out in time. His family life was normal. Mom, Dad, older brother, younger sister. Completely spotless image, class rep, student council leader, ect. You get the idea," Blood huffed out a deep sigh. He sounded disappointed by the fact that Gowland's backround was clean.

" As for myself," he started," I was born into the yakuza. One day I'll lead my family's syndicate as head of the organization. But until then, I'll have to keep it under wraps."

Before Alice knew what had happened, Blood was inches from her face, his lips hovering over hers." You'll keep it as secret, won't you?" his voice sounded like a sad begging, but his eyes were full of commands.. and lust.

" What about Vivaldi?" she lashed out at him. He instantly backed off, his icy glare pounding a hole through her." I heard she was a senior this year. I'm sure you've crept around her background, haven't you? But if I'm correct, you left her off your little list, didn't you? Maybe you two have a secret relationship nobody else knows about. I have to say, she's really beautiful, but I can't imagine why she would want a lover like you."

That was it. Blood's hand snapped around her throat, pushing her against the wall roughly." Lovers, are we? Now that would be an interesting thought, if it were true. But it seems you were mistaken, my dear."

His clutch on her windpipe tightened, shortening her breath. Clawing at his hand, Alice's thrashing only made it harder to breath."

You see, Alice? We are not a normal class society. We all have our problems, but it seems you don't. You don't have a miserably tragic past, or a disorder that affects your every move. You don't have people watching your every move, nor do you have a past to run from. So you see, you will never fit in. I suggest once the term is over, you pack your bags and leave. Tragedy might strike if you don't."

Slowly, his hand pulled away from her throat, and Alice saw her chance. She pushed him away and bolted to the door, twisting the knob and jerking out into the open hallway. She didn't turn back, didn't stop to see if he was running after her. She just kept running, running through the halls, up the stairs, into her room, slamming the door behind her. She flopped down on the bed, her face pressed against the clover green pillows.

_What's his problem! What did I ever do to him? He's gonna do something bad to me, I know it! Nobody would give away that kind of information without some kind of punishment to keep the listener quiet!_

The dark green of the pillows turned even darker as tears stained the fabric. Through Alice's hushed sniffles and abrupt huffs of breath, a clicking sound turned through the room. The door slowly opened and a dark silhouette stood in the doorway. Glancing up, Alice saw that it wasn't the same person as before, so she laid her face back into the pillows and continued her weeping.

" Alice! What's wrong, darling!" Peter's voice cried. Alice couldn't breath, and before she blacked out, she saw a glimpse of Peter's worried face. In that one glimpse, she saw a little boy locked in the closet on Saturday nights, a little boy being smacked by his older sister and parents.

A little boy with no home willing to accept him.

* * *

**So like I said, here are basic summaries for everyone's predicaments and pasts.**

**Gray Ringmarc - According to Blood, he used to be a murderer, but gave up that life and started going to Heartland High. But if that's true, why did he give up that life to begin with?**

**Nightmare Gottschalk - His life, at one time, may have been considered perfect. Two parents who worked for a living and a little sister that loved him to pieces. But his perfect life was turned upside down when his sister was beaten to death by an unknown criminal. He's never been the same since.**

**Julius Monrey - He grew up with an abusive father, who, after being arrested, died in prison. With his dad out of the way, he was the only one with enough health and age to get a job to make up for his dad. After the payments kept building up and they fell into debts, his mother became a prostitute to pay the bills. Even though that worked, Julius was ashamed of his mother and the example she set for his little brother and sister. Ever since then, he fled his home with his siblings to a ******'s house *can you guess who?***

**Peter White - Coming from a broken home, Peter was regularly locked in closets and slapped around whenever his parents and sister weren't home. This has caused a mutual disliking to everyone around him.**

**Ace Knight - Nobody knows anything about him. Where he came from, who his parents are, or if he even has a last name.**

**Boris Airay - All that's known about him is that he came to Heartland High to avoid prison.**

**Pierce Villiers - His parents are a mystery, but according to Blood, they kicked him out of the house. He's secretly relied on Gowland ever since.**

**Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum - Their family ties are unknown, but they lived in an orphanage for the majority of their lives. They were sent to a juvenile camp after having the police called too many times and finally got out after Blood's family adopted them.**

**Elliot March - He suffers from Bi-Polar Disorder, but has learned how to hide a majority of the mood swings. When something goes wrong, you can immediately tell by his mood swings.**

**Gowland - A guy who still has a perfect life, despite the many years around people who don't. Still, something about him seems.. off.**

**Blood Dupre - He's attending Heartland High until graduation, but then plans to take on his family's secret crime syndicate as his own.**

**Yakuza - japanese for Mafia!**


	8. Best Friends Always Understand

**Heartland High **

**Another chapter up so quickly! But it's short. Anyway, the weekend has come so I might have a couple more chapters up! Oh, by the way, in March, my grade is taking a 4 day trip to Savannah, GA. I'm going to do the same in this story by having the characters do the same thing we're doing. So, if there's a certain place you want the characters to visit on a school trip then review about it and give a reason why they should go, whether it be educational or just for fun!**

* * *

**8. Best Friends Always Understand**

A softness touched her, stroked her cheeks as she slowly awakened. After her mental tirade, Alice had fallen asleep in hopes of getting rid of the misery that now ran rampant through her mind. Of course, that didn't happen. Slowly leaning up, Alice came face to face with a horrified Peter. His eyes were begging her to tell him what was wrong so he could try and fix the problem. But she couldn't say what she wanted to say. The last thing she could ever do was tell him everything that Blood had said, because eventually that name would slip and then all the other students would be furious.

She looked into his ruby eyes, hers bloodshot from crying. She saw a little 4 year old trembling in the corner, awaiting the arrival of the person he feared the most; the person he depended on.

Alice jumped into his arms, her fingers twisting into his spotless white polo. The bright white slowly turned dark as Alice buried her face in the crook of his neck and let her steamy tears fall again. They burned her eyes and a choking feeling rose through her throat.

" Alice, darling! What's wrong? Why are you so sad?"

_Peter can't know that I know about his past. He won't trust me anymore._

She didn't say anything, just kept weeping into his shoulder. Peter, who was saddened and on cloud nine, gently wrapped his arms around her and started to rock back and forth, shifting his weight from front to back." Alice, my dove, tell me what's wrong," he pleaded.

_I can't hide it. Peter will find out eventually, and the longer I wait, the more his trust will break. I have to tell him._

" P-Peter.. I know about.. I.." _I can't say it. I just can't._

" Know about what?"

Alice pulled away from him, a bright pink painting her cheeks." Peter, if I knew a lot about you.. would that be okay?" she asked, embarassment fluttering over her face. Instead of a sad face, Peter's eyes lit up like candles." Oh, how fantastic it would be! Does that mean I can know more about you?" he asked. Alice shook her head. This wasn't how Peter should have acted.

" No, Peter.. I mean.. the stuff I know about you.. it.. it's not good," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Peter's eyes lowered." What do mean? What do you know about me that isn't good?" Peter, in all honesty, had no clue what she had in mind.

" I heard that when you were little.. you were beaten by your parents. And when they weren't hitting you, your sister was. And the reason you came to this school was to get away from them."

Peter's eyes widened, his mouth half-way opened. All this time he thought he had kept his past so well hidden, so completely hidden from the world by using the excuse of hating everyone. But now, not even that had worked.

" I know that it's wrong of me to know, and I wish I didn't, I really do, but.." Alice stopped, using all the strength she had to fight back more tears. Instead of being angered, a soft smile found it's way to Peter. He seemed so calm, so relaxed, it was almost unbearable.

" Alice, don't be upset. It's wonderful that you know this, because now I've nothing to hide from you. I don't have to worry about my past tearing us apart anymore, and in reality, it may be better that you found out for yourself instead of me telling you."

He smiled gently to her, his hand finding a way to her eyes to wipe away the tears." You mean.. you're not mad that I know?" He touch one of her crossed hands with his fingers." I could never be mad at you," he sighed.

Alice nudged herself a little." I guess I overreacted when I heard about it, and I was scared you wouldn't like me anymore, so I kinda panicked about it," she admitted. Peter laughed at her bright red face.

" Aside from that, how did you know? Who would have told you about me? I didn't think anyone was interested in someone like myself." Alice cringed at the thought of revealing the truth. What would Blood do if he found out she told? It wasn't like she promised to keep it a secret, but something in Blood's eyes made her think otherwise." I.. can't say," she mumbled," but don't worry! Nobody else will know, I'll make sure of it!" she said triumphantly.

" I know you will," Peter smiled.

* * *

" So you're sure Alice won't stay in her room tomorrow? She'll be out like everyone else for the first day?" a voice asked.

" I'm positive. She even said so herself," another voice chimed in.

" Very well then," a third voice came," put the supplies by the door. As soon as she leaves, the plan will be in motion."

* * *

**Banzai! ... I haves de most uberly awesome question! Are you ready?**

**What should the cafeteria serve? 8D**


	9. Tomorrow is Another Day

**Heartland High**

**I'm working as fast as I can. I want to have at least 2 more updates*not sure which stories yet* before the day is over, so we'll see how that goes. Anyway, now that you all know about the character backgrounds, things will be more understandable* as in they'll better relate to the game and manga***

**Another thing I love about this is the family. We all know how cute it is when a big brother has a strong connection with a very young sister(ouran high school host club- nekozawa) No-one ever said which of my stories should have my full attention so I'm still debating over which one should be updated more frequently. Anyway, do the disclaimer, my totally awesome twins!**

**Dee: Lover-chan doesn't own any of us-**

**Dum: Even though she wishes she did.**

**...I think I'm going to cry..**

* * *

**9: Tomorrow is Another Day**

The night had been long. It had taken every force in the free world to get Peter to leave, but Alice had finally convinced him that they both needed some sleep. Now she was sprawled out beneath the covers, slowly fading away with sleep. As she finally blinked and thought the day was over, a beeping sound came from the laptop on her bedside table. Alice glanced at the clover shaped clock next to her charging laptop.

_It's almost 10:00. Who would send me a message this late?_

She leaned up against the back of the bed, her back pressed against the pillows, and took her laptop into her hands. _Okay, let's see who this is from._

After Peter had left, Alice had taken the liberty of labeling the email addresses she had received. _Wow, Julius is actually talking to me. Wonder what he has to say._

Her fingers lightly pressed against the keys and opened up the email page.

_Alice,_

_Nightmare informed me about your mother's passing. My condolences to you. Something about you is bothering me, and whether you take that personally or not makes no difference to me. I've seen your schedule and we have several secondary classes together, so I ask that you be my partner for drama class. This year the student council is asking for a full fledged play, so should we have partners, I request you to be mine. __Aside from that, I hope you'll forgive us for that hallway act earlier. We were planning something for student council and it must be kept secret until then. Tomorrow is another day as they say, so be prepared for whatever may come._

_Julius M._

Alice opened a response page.

_Thanks Julius,_

_I thought I had done something wrong earlier, so that's really nice of you to let me know. But really, you should be asleep right now. Staying awake for long periods of time when you should be asleep can mess up your sleep cycle, you know. And if you don't mind my asking, why are you up this late? I would think seniors would be the first to be asleep. You can PM back if you want to. If you don't, I don't mind. I'd rather you be asleep anyway._

_Alice_

She closed her laptop, placing it on her blanket covered lap. _Well, it's nice to know I can at least talk to him. He seems really nice but.. _

The things Blood had said about his family crossed her mind again. _Even if what Blood said was true, that shouldn't affect my friendship with him._

Through Alice's thoughts of Julius's abrupt past, a beeping came from the tiny computer. _Now let's see._

_Alice, why don't you come to my dorm. All the seniors are here and they would enjoy your company. Don't worry about being caught, nobody will see._

Alice closed her laptop and placed her hand over her heart. Why did it feel like it would jump out of her chest any second? Sneaking out of her room at night was one thing, but it only got worse when the reason for sneaking out was for men 4 years older than her.

_Well, why not? I mean, I know these guys well enough. They wouldn't do anything to me.. I don't think._

She put on the same clothes she had worn that day, the baby blue shirt and shorts, clipped on her sandals and slowly headed for the door. _If I get caught I'm in so much trouble! Okay, just relax._ She opened the door and crept out into the hall.

Darkness surrounded her, the only small light flickered beneath the door of a different room. That must be Julius's room. She trudged closer, spreading her arms out in case she ran into a wall. Her fingers graced over the knob while her other hand tapped on the door gently.

More light filled the dark hall as the door swung open. Nobody stood there waiting to greet her. With a pang of hesitation, she entered the room. It was warm inside and a scent of vanilla hung in the air. The light was low, only with multiple candles lit here and there, spreading around the delicious scent. Julius sat on his bed, his hands tight around his laptop. Nightmare was flipping through the pages of an enormous book while Gray was busily scribbling over blank paper with blue ink. Amidst his heavy scribbles, Gray's deep golden eyes found their way to Alice's soft teal orbs." So you came after all. You have more guts than I expected," he laughed.

" Close the door," Julius said strictly. Doing as told, she shut the door softly behind her and moved closer towards the bed. All the seniors were exhausted, that much was readable. Their eyes were glazed with sleep and their lids were heavy. Alice gently sat on the clover shaped stool beside the bed. Her knee, unknowingly, pressed against Julius's leg. He instantly pulled away, a wild blush painting his face.

" Why aren't you guys asleep?" Alice asked, finally getting the courage to break the silence. After an awkward pause, Nightmare finally answered." We were putting the finishing touches on our college papers. If you didn't know, the college is just across this campus, and if you go to Heartland High then you'll be moved to the neighboring campus over the summer."

" All the papers have to be in order, completed, and turned in by the beginning of school. If not, they give you another stack of paper that must be finished by the first break, and if you don't get that turned in they make you pay tuition. That's the last thing any of us need to worry about."

_Oh, well, that makes sense._

" So how did your first day of exploring go?" Gray asked from his mountain of multi-colored paper. Alice was about to grin brightly and tell about all the wonderful things she had seen on the grounds, but at this point, only one thing stuck out in her mind. A shiver ran down her spine, shaking her inside and out. The thought of being in the same room with Blood Dupre, sharing a dark lifeless room with that dark lifeless man, it froze her to the bone.

Nightmare abruply snapped his book shut and went to her side." Did something happen?" he whispered in her ear. Julius glared at the two and Gray turned around in his chair, eyeing her suspiciously.

" I _did_ notice you running through the halls earlier. You seemed upset," Gray added.

She was totally surrounded. Another complication she couldn't get out of easily. Through the piercing glares, Alice felt like something was fiddling through her head. She knew, at a glance, that Nightmare was probably rummaging through her thoughts, trying to find something that would tell him more about her little " adventure" earlier. Looking at the floor, Alice locked a certain someone's name in the back of her mind, chaining and binding it further and further. But would that even work?

" Oh, I uh, I.. forgot something! I was hanging out with the twins and I forgot something!" she reasoned. She put on a fake smile, but it seemed Nightmare still wasn't convinced." You're hiding something," he deadpanned. Gray had left his lonely seat at the desk and was sitting Indian style in front of her now." You know you can tell us, right?" Nightmare leaned closer," I told you _my_ secret."

Alice huffed out a deep sigh." Well, I had.. a run in with Blood. He told me some things about some.. people.. and now I just don't know what to think," she sighed sadly." Who?" Gray asked. Alice shook her head." I can't stay. I mean, I could but..."

" We understand," Julius glared.

Alice looked back at the ground. She tried as hard as she could to keep her head clear of thoughts, but that was merely an effort in futility. Nightmare's uncovered eye widened and he locked his fingers together. Gray was on his knees getting ready to stand again, and Julius was fiddling with an elaborate clock necklace hanging loosely from his neck. The silence between the four was broken when Nightmare spoke slowly.

" What did he say about us?"

Julius's fingers stopped, and Gray was looking at them, a strange expression reflecting in his eyes." He was talking about us?" they said in unison. Alice's heart stopped, her blood turning cold. But in an instant, that frozen blood seemed to boil when she glared at Nightmare.

_You just had to ruin everything. You obviously don't have people skills if all you can do is read minds. Jerk._

Her words didn't phase him, nor did her glare bother him. He just kept on staring at her." Well, yeah, he did say some stuff about you, and it.. "

" It what?"

Alice paused." It kinda threw me off, but it doesn't really bother me," she lied. In fact, it did bother her. She wanted to cry her heart out for them, hug them and say everything would be alright, even if it wasn't true.

" Well," Gray started," you'll have to tell _me_ what he said tomorrow. I'm far too tired to see straight anymore." He collected the enormous stack of papers and clipped them in place with a paperclip." Tomorrow is another day," he smiled, and headed out the door to his own room. Nightmare followed quickly, taking his own papers and putting them in order. Even in doing this, he hadn't left Alice's side, and before he left he looked at her sadly. Leaning close to her ear, he put his hand over her wrist." It may be wrong of _me_ to voice _your_ thoughts, but it's even worse if I know your sad and do nothing to help. Goodnight," he whispered, his deep voice almost twisting around her, making her rethink the words she said earlier. Before he left for good, that same sentence left his lips." Tomorrow is another day."

Now Alice was really uncomfortable. It was only Julius now, and he was scary enough as it was. But even through his angered, emotionless face, Alice still saw someone kind. Someone who threw away everything they ever had just so they could protect their little siblings. It made her heart sink, the thought of it. _Where does he live now that he ran away? Where are his little brother and sister?_

Alice lowered her head into her hands, thinking about her own family. It wasn't a broken family, but it had gone through hard times with her deceased mother and father who never came home anymore. She always hid that to the best of her ability, always wanting to make other people smile, even when she couldn't do that herself.

_But it's so hard now.._

She felt a tear drip down her cheek as a sniffle came from her nose. She shouldn't have done this. Whenever her family came up, Alice would cry for hours and she didn't know why. But all it took was that one little tear to make Julius's muscles tighten.

" Are.. Are you crying?"

* * *

**Oh noes! Here come the waterworks! DUN DUN DUN!**

**When it came to the cafeteria, everybody said waffles, which frankly I don't get but hey, whatever floats your boat, right?**

**Dee: Why do people like waffles so much?**

**Dum: Who knows, maybe it's a new fashion sensation in Paris or something.**

**Me: No, that was Finland. _Toast_ was the big hit in France.**

**Dee: Oh, that makes sense!  
Dum:Oh, that makes sense!**


	10. The First Morning of Many

**Heartland High**

**I finally get to start this story back up again! Huzzah! Anyway, it's time to send in your ideas again, cause the school bell has rung! For people who took an absence in reading, this picks up right where Alice starts crying. Let the insanity begin! And since it's been such a long time, I've conjured up a long chapter for everyone :)**

* * *

**10. The First Morning of Many**

Julius glanced at the teary eyed child across from him. She looked absolutely miserable, her eyes burning and swelling from saltwater. Julius knew he had to do something. He couldn't handle the tears of a girl, especially one who reminded him so much of_ her_. He stood up, his muscles tight beneath his skin. Closing the little distance betweem them, he enveloped her in a hug, winding his arms around her waist. His instinct was building up, the one that had grown over the years of watching two small children who had no mother. Holding this fragile teenager close, it was almost like having his tiny brother and sister back in his arms. He just didn't want to let go.

" J-Julius..Ju-I can't breath!" Alice gasped, the air skidding from her lungs. Instantly, Julius let go, looking down on the slender girl in front of him. She looked up, her soft teal orbs forgiving." Do you feel better?" He backed away from her, glaring coldly at Alice, who obliviously looked back.

Not wanting to continue to awkward moment, Alice headed for the door. With her hand twisting the knob, Julius cleared his throat." Sleep well."  
".. I will," she smiled.

She left Julius to his thoughts, his lonely running thoughts. _Perhaps I will like this child._

***BEEP, BEEP***

Alice's clover shaped alarm bleeped at her, trying to wake her from her foggy sleep. Her groggy eyes looked at the clock. _6:30, time to get up._  
Leaning up, Alice let the green wool blankets slip from her shoulders. Stepping out of the bed, she felt the cold hardwood floor against her feet as she trudged to the mirror. Her hair was clean, her face was blemish- free; perfect. After brushing her teeth and hair, Alice dug through her closet for some clean clothes.

Her search led her to a red t-shirt with with a stick man hanging by his foot and a group of pinatas beating him with sticks; she found it oddly humorous. Donning a pair of eggshell white jeans and some snug, brown flats, she adjusted a brown bow in her hair and then went to sit on her bed.

_I heard that I'll get all the books I need once classes start, so I guess that means I'm prepared. And now I've got loads of time._ She looked at the clock, the time was exactly 7:00.  
_Classes don't even start until 8:30, I'm already bored to tears. Maybe I should see what everybody else-_

***KNOCK, KNOCK***

The sudden bang on her door made Alice jump from her skin. She cleared her throat." W-Who is it?"

" Boris," the muffled voice called out. _Boris? I don't remem- oh! That punk kid!_

" Come in."

The door pushed open, revealing the hot pink haired boy. He pushed the door shut and made his way over to Alice, who simply smiled. Even in the dim room, his hot pink tie was vivid.  
" Ready?"

" Um.. ready for what?"

" For classes, you dunce! Once the year starts, it hits you like a brick, so let's get to the cafeteria before the rest of the crowd then we'll head off to class."

" Okay. Sounds like a plan," she smiled.

The cafeteria was just as she had remembered, the long oval tables lined with seats in the middle and the 4-seater tables off to the sides. She hadn't been inside the level where you got food, but that was where Boris was taking her. And when she saw it, Alice immediately deemed it life changing.

Tables were spread out everywhere, some had lids over them to keep warmth over the contents. Others were packed with ice, freezing any perishable items on the tables. Bins were littered with ice and drinks, and others were with warm things to drink. One was even filled with hot water, sugar, and teabags, making a sweet tea container.  
Now that was creative!

" Hey, Alice, since there's hardly anyone here, why don't you check out one of the 4 seaters? I got some other friends who'll be sitting with us, and I know they'll like you," Boris grinned at her, a wide toothy grin. Skipping out of smaller section of the room, Alice trotted over to a diamond shaped table, rimmed with blue and yellow. Boris was right, there weren't many people here. A few other students were sitting in scattered out places, but that was about it, until she caught another table in the farthest corner of the cafeteria.

Alice's hair stood up on her neck, her brows furrowed together. Three seniors- Nightmare, Julius, and Gray, were staring openly at her, uncaring of who knew. The curtains of the grand windows behind them fluttered around from the AC, shadowing the trio from sunlight. They looked like demons who were out hunting for prey. Her, obviously. But the menacing aura was ignored when Boris sat in front of her, blocking the three from view." Here ya go," he said, sliding a plastic cup filled with tea her way.

" Thanks, but, how did you know I think tea?"

" Lucky guess. And I've never known anyone who went here to not like it. I think that's why our basketball team was dubbed "tea trotters" cause they always drink it at half-time. Pretty lame, huh?"  
She laughed at the name, but the brief moment of relief was over when she felt the penetrating stares of the seniors on her again.

" Hey, Boris, can, uh, can we go somewhere else? The seniors are really freaking me out right now," she pleaded. Not wanting to be suspicious, Boris barely glanced over his shoulder. The seniors were still staring, nothing had changed. " I'll bet you money they're tryin' to psych you up for the prank," he snickered.

" The senior prank?" _That's right! For them, today is Freshman Initiation! How could I forget?_

" Yup. But don't mind them, eventually they'll get bored and leave you alone. It's what they do," he sighed." I'm not so sure about that," Alice said nervously, looking back at them. Boris slapped her shoulder, loosening her up." Relax, once Gowland comes our way they'll quit staring. Seniors are weird like that, they don't want anything to do with anyone younger than them if another senior is involved."

_I still have so much to learn about this place._

" Well, speak of the Devil and he shall appear," Boris exclaimed." Took you long enough, old man!" he cackled. Looking over his shoulder, Alice saw another man standing behind Boris. He was tall, very tall, and did look much older than anyone she knew. His yellow polo shirt really brought out the bright blue of his tie, but was softened by the warm brown of his pants. His reddish auburn hair was held by a braid, the same color of peachfuzz of his face." Oh, shut it, you little delinquent," he snapped, taking his seat next to Boris.

He smiled at Alice, who smiled back." So your that gal everyone's been talkin' about," he held out his hand," nice to meet ya. The name's Gowland." Alice took his outstretched hand." I'm Alice, but I guess you already knew that."

The three talked for what felt like hours, but it was nothing more than a few minutes. Alice was confined in their stories, what had come with their years of age and the very little wisdom Boris had. They told her of their adventures; how Boris had been in juvie so many times some of the guards there were some of his best friends, how Gowland was top in a community engineering course, and anything that came with it. As the trio were about to deepen the conversation, the intercom blared out.

**Students,**

**Classes will start in exactly 15 minutes. Please direct yourselves to the appropriate classrooms and find a seat. All materials will be handed out at a later time. Thank you.**

" Well, we better get a move on," Gowland said, standing from his chair. Boris followed, along with Alice close behind. Glancing back, she saw the seniors still sitting there, watching her, whispering, probably about her.

" Hey, hurry up!" Boris yelled from afar, making Alice snap back to reality. Before she turned around, her eyes were caught with Gray's. The blood in her veins curdled under his predatory eyes and she quickened her pace

_Did I do something wrong? If I didn't know better, I'd think they were out to kill me._

* * *

**Wonder what those devious seniors are up to? I'm working on a plot for each class. In a previous chapter there's a list of Alice's secondary classes, so if you actually want to go back and look at it, then you can send in some ideas for how those classes will affect school for her and everyone else.**

**All the roleholders will be in two connection classes. Eventually you'll know which ones; I'm such a nerd XO :)**


	11. Mid Morning Disturbance

**Heartland High**

**WOOT! 2 chapters in one day! I'm still working on visual artwork for the stuff. We've got our state test coming up in a week and I'm so nervous! I know I'll fail, but it never hurts to try your best, right? Anyway, I'm really looking forward to Summer, even though the hellish thing called Band Camp is coming, I really need to get away from my school and just start typing like a maniac!**

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**11. Mid-Morning Disturbance**

Alice sat in the wooden desk, her body heat warming the cold wood. She had parted ways with both Boris and Gowland, and now sat alone in a big classroom, just her, along with a few other students she had never seen. Alice looked at the old fashioned clock that hung from the side of the wall. It was 8:10. Twenty minutes until the year would finally start. Slipping her hand into her pocket, Alice pulled out a purple Ipod Nano, flipping the button on and putting the headphones in her ears. Resting her head on the desk, Alice put her songs on shuffle. As her thoughts scurried through her mind, her favorite song started to play.

_Once upon time there was a girl._  
_You wouldn't really call her typical._  
_Had her own definition of cool._  
_She lived in her own world._  
_She had her own style, her own rules._  
_She played along like it was usual._  
_Nobody really even knew her name._  
_To her, life was one big game._

_She's got her head up in the clouds._  
_(Sharada, Sharada)_  
_Don't know when she'll come down._  
_(Sharada, Sharada)_  
_She can't get to bed._  
_( Sharada, Sharada)_  
_She's got this song stuck in her head._

It took Alice a while to feel a light tap on her shoulder. Turning around, she was greeted by the glowing smile of Peter White. Pulling out her headphones, Alice smiled at him. " Good morning, Peter," she yawned." Good morning, my dove. Did you sleep well last night?" he asked. He wondered if she had slept as well as he had. He was so excited, because almost all his classes had Alice in them." I was out like a light. What about you?"

" A wonderful night, indeed," he grinned.

After a while, a small static sound caught Peter's attention." What's that, my dear?" he asked, pointing to her closed fists. Alice snapped her eyes down, opening her fists to look at the Ipod.  
" Oh, I forgot to turn my Ipod off. Was it bothering you?"

Peter held up his hands." Oh, no, not at all! Please, keep listening." Putting the headphones back in her ears, Alice rested her chin on her palms. But what she didn't see during her absent-minded moment was Peter's intent gaze at her. To him, she was like an exotic creature that was almost obtainable, but still so out of reach. No matter how hard he tried, it seemed he wouldn't be able to catch this magnificent creature, catch to make it his.

Even with her headphones blaring, Alice still heard the loud bell that was ringing through the halls. It suddenly seemed like the seats were filling up one by one as more students came through the door. Putting her Ipod away, Alice felt a nudge on her arm. Peter was still sitting behind her, and had a note between his knuckles. She slipped the note out of his fist, slumping down in her chair to read it.

_Alice, you seem nervous. Don't worry, compared to most teachers here, Ms. Sasshi is actually a very generous person. And if you like reading then the two of you will be the best of friends._  
_Keep it in mind._

Alice turned around and smiled at him, mouthing a quick "thanks" before a young adult came in the room. She was average, a simple medium brown haired glasses wearing woman. Her smile lit the room as she placed her books on the teacher's desk. " Hello, everyone! My name is Ms. Sasshi, I'll be your english/ literature this year. Like you all know, it's time to start the beginning of another wonderful year. Now, I'd like you all to form a neat line so we can pass binders out."

The class formed a line, each receiving a white binder with the letters E.L. in bold red on the front. Going back to their seats, Alice glanced out the window.

_What the!_

In the garden outside the window, the twins were waving at her, but that didn't surprise her. What did was the fact that they were hanging upside down from a tree branch like monkeys. They were beckoning at her, telling her to come outside. She shook her head, mouthing a stern "no", but they kept on waving.

" Ahem," Ms. Sasshi cleared her throat." Now, this sheet I'm handing out is a quick fill-in the blank. It'll tell me a little more about you, so please be truthful!" Rows of paper were passed back, and true to her word, it was a bubble-in. With the twins still hanging upside down like bats, and Alice's worry growing more and more each second, when Ms. Sasshi slid the paper and pencil onto her desk, Alice snatched it up and filled it out as truthfully and quickly as she could. " I haven't made out any assignments yet, so once you finish this you can quietly talk to others around you."

Skipping up to Ms. Sasshi, Alice poked her shoulder, gaining Sasshi's attention." Ms. Sasshi, may I go get a book to read from my dorm?"  
At the word _book_, Sasshi's eyes seemed to glitter and glow." Of course! Hurry back now," she said, shooing Alice off.

_Yes! It worked!_

Seeing Alice dash out of the classroom made Peter's heart sink. But his poor little heart seemed to rise a bit when he saw the answers on her bubble sheet.  
They both liked peaceful atmospheres, reading fantasy books, and listening to foreign music. _I knew we were alike!_

"What are you two doing?" Alice cried, rushing toward the identical twins." We wanted to see Onee-san!" they smiled.  
" That doesn't mean you have to hang from a tree!"

" That may be true, but we don't want to be in math anyway, so it's all good."

" Don't skip your classes! Education is important, you know!" she cried." It's almost over anyway, so who cares?"

" I do! Now get back there!"

Groaning, mixed with a few complains, had eventually gotten the twins to at least stand on the ground, and as the trio walked through the halls to return to their classrooms, the twins stopped and tugged on Alice's shirt.

" Onee-san, do you like us?" Dum asked, his ruby red eyes wide." Yes, Onee-san. Do you like us?" Dee asked, cocking his head to the side.

" Well, of course I do. How could I _not_ like you two?"

After a moment of silence, the twins' mouths dropped as they looked at each other then back to her. Smiles crept up on their faces, along with hints of excitement. They each slipped over to Alice's sides, and before she knew what was happening, she felt their lips pressing against both her cheeks.  
" We love our Onee-san too!"

The bell chimed through the hallways, signaling the switching of classes. Pulling away, the twins looked at her bright blushing cheeks." Bye Onee-san, we'll see you later!" they shouted, running away while waving at her.

" What... What just happened?"

* * *

**That song is actually real, and even though I generally don't like pop or rap or country or nything of the sort, it caught my attention. It really suits her well. I would go listen if I were you.  
It's called Sharada, sung by Skye Sweetnam. My pretty goth pop idol!**

**Having a bit of inspiration trouble, so some ideas would be greatly appreciated. Like I said earlier, this is a story that I want the readers to write, so send whatever you have, and if you have some ideas of sketches I could do for each chapter that would also be nice to experiment with :3**


	12. Adventure, with A Twist!

**Heartland High**

**Well, here's another chapter :3 I think the poll is coming along particularly well, and even though you'll see made up names, THEY ARE NOT OC'S. I'm highly against using them unless they make the entire story work out. I hope to have at least one more chapter of HH up and SK, though I don't know how that'll work out. Either way, I'm still waiting for Summer to come around so I can do nothing but write *doesahappydance***

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**12. The Most Adventure Filled Morning in the World!**

Alice stood there, completely dumbfounded. _What did they do that for? !_

" Alice! Alice, wait a moment!" a voice called. Turning her head, Alice saw Peter running towards her, waving a paper in his hand. When he caught up to her, he put his head between his legs and gasped for air.

"Ah..Ah..Alice, my dear, Ms. Sasshi found something for us to do," he muttered, his breathing still choppy." We have 2 days to write a paper about a friend listing differences, similarities, and why we're friends! Will you be my partner?"

Alice was still thinking about the hallway incident, barely hearing a word out of him ." Yeah.. sure.."  
Peter's bloody red eyes lit up at hearing this, and a massive glomping was swelling inside." Thank you, my love!" he cried, grabbing her arms and spinning her around.

" Gah! Peter, put me down! Please!" she begged, feeling the puke rising up her throat. " Sorry, dear," he apologized, sitting her on the ground." So, can we meet in garden later today to get started?"  
Shaking her head, Alice sighed." Sure, but you'll have to show me where it is."

" Not a problem!"

...

Skipping down the crowded halls, Alice looked at her lengthy schedule._ Okay, I have history next, so that should be right around-_ here it is! Twisting the knob, Alice let herself into the room. Just like last time, there were a few students including herself, but that was about it. Taking a seat next to the window, Alice glanced out to another portion of the rose garden that surrounded half of the campus. _No twins hanging from trees, it's all good._

But even though the room was fairly quiet among the small chatter of students, Alice still felt something eerie. Like the same feeling she had gotten this morning when the seniors wouldn't take their demonic glares off her. Maybe that had just made her paranoid. Yeah, that has to be it, just a little jittery from this morning. As the clouds changed positions, the sunlight gleamed through the windows, hitting her right in the eyes. Grimacing, she stood up._ I can't sit here, that sunlight is too bright. I'll just move to the back where-_

As she took a step forward, she bumped in to something. Getting past the sun, she looked up." Oh, sorry, I wasn't watching were I...AAHHHHH!"  
She fumbled backwards onto the tile floor, her spine slamming into the foot of another desk. Looking up, her wall was even taller now, complete with a pair of devastatingly handsome but dangerous eyes. He took a step over her, then stooped to his knees to the point of straddling her." I think you and I need to have a little talk," a deep, low voice remarked.

" G-Gray, uh..please get off, we're in public, and this is embarrassing," Alice murmured, trying to keep her voice down. At this statement, his golden eyes were glazed with anger." I'll do a lot more than this if you don't get your act together, please come with me. We need to talk. Privately."  
" But classes are about to start, we can't cut on the first day of school!"

" Everything will be fine. My patience with you is very, _very_ thin right now. Don't test me," he spat. What had she done to make him so angry? Obviously, she didn't know or she would have had some sort of backbone. But right now, she was terrified. He excited the classroom, not waiting on her. Hurrying to catch up, Alice couldn't see him anymore. _How can he move so quickly! ? I don't even know where he went! What did I even do in the first place._

Suddenly, the answer hit her like a freight train, practically washing over her like ocean waves. It was the one thing he didn't want anyone to know about, and out of all the popular, rich, high-class people here, she knew. Her, a little commoner from a far away city nobody had probably ever heard of knew the one thing that could bring him to his knees. Out of nowhere, a hand snatched onto hers and started dragging her up a flight of stairs that led to the Club Green Dorms.  
" Gray, slow down!" she cried, tripping several times before they reached the top.

Out of the corner of her eye, Alice saw them passing her dorm, which was in the middle of the hallway, and going to one of the very last on the opposite wall. He pushed her inside and slammed the door shut. Alice hopped on one leg to keep from falling, but fell onto the bed anyway. She heard the door lock, and her eyes widened with fear. Gray stood there, leaning his broad body against the doorway, ensuring there was no way to get out.

" What.. what do you want, Gray?"

" You know exactly what I want." He wasn't like before, the warm, friendly, very mature senior she had met on the bus. He was exactly what Blood had made him out to be, some blood-thirsty murderer. " We can sit here all day," he said, slowly slinking over to a clover shaped stool next to the door," but no one leaves unless you reveal everything you've heard. If you keep me here long enough, well, that's a different story," he said, the black in his eyes turning to slits.

After a pregnant pause, Alice stood back up and mustered every bit of determination she had." It's true, isn't it? You used to get money by killing people, didn't you?"

From the darkness, he nodded.

" And you.. are upset that I know about it. Gray, I don't care if you hacked people to bits with-okay, I do care, but that's not the point! The Gray I met on that bus is the only one I know. I don't know any assassin, honest!" He didn't say anything, just sat there watching her, nodding at appropriate times.

" The reason for this isn't to frighten you, but I don't trust you, so there's nothing I can do."

Alice seemed sad at that comment. She wanted him to trust her, she like Gray a lot." Then what will it take? Just tell me what it will take for you to trust me, and I'll do it! I promise, I won't tell anyone about it, or bring it up at conversations, or-"

" I know you won't. That's not what concerns me, I want to know how you found out. Were you personally snooping around or was it by some freak accident that you learned of my past life?" "..."

"... I see," he said, standing from his seat and trudged closer. Alice took a step back to try and get away but only ended up falling on her back. She scooted against the wall as Gray came closer, her back pressing firmly against the hardwood wall. Instead of hitting or kicking her, he merely sat on his knees and looked at her. His eyes seemed to be swirling different shades of gold, and it was almost hypnotizing. He reached out and placed his hand on her chest. They stayed like that for a while, his large yet warm hand firm against her chest.

" You'll do whatever it takes to gain my trust? You'll do anything to keep me from assuming you're just like everyone else who would go snitch to the whole world?"  
She nodded. She felt his hand press harder against her chest, then lightly, he pulled away." Alright, I believe you." He stood up, extending out a strong hand for her to take-which she did.

" What..Why? What was that?" she questioned. Why had he touched her? Was he trying to find some kind of sign that would tell him if she was lying? She just didn't understand.  
" Something about you is very.. different. You don't look like the type of person who would humiliate or hurt another, so I'm giving you once chance. Don't disappoint me."

He opened the door and let the light from the hallway shine through." Come on."  
As the walked down the hall, Alice kept her distance." Why did you do that?" she asked from behind." Do what?"

_Did he not remember?_

" You put your hand right here," she placed her hand over her chest, feeling the fast beating of her heart." It's very simple to understand. A normal person's heart rate is between high and low, and when people lie there's a physical reaction. The heart rate speeds up tremendously."  
" So you were testing me?" she asked curiously. While she hadn't thought of it. checking someone's heartbeat was a clever way to see if they were lying. Must have been one of those things only an assassin would really use.

They climbed down the stairs, and by the way Gray was moving, it looked like they were about to part ways." I was, and you passed," he turned a corner, but not without looking back at her," with flying colors."

Again, Alice was left to stand alone in the hall, feeling completely stupid. It was just the first day of school and she was already on peoples' nerves. What a great way to start off the year. She let out a heavy sigh and looked at one of the clocks that lined the wall. _Are you freaking kidding me! ? I've already missed two classes! I bet the teachers already hate my guts._

She stumbled through the hall, looking back at the paper that had her itinerary. _Wow, that's pretty unique.._

While math and history were somewhat normal subjects, her next class was a little out of the blue. _I completely forgot we had an acting class._

Acting may not have been the word to describe her next class; it was more like a performing art class, like plays and poetry. Alice prefered theatrical things, broadways, musicals, she loved them.  
_I wonder if Peter or Boris will be acting._

The thought of Peter or Boris up on a stage in front of an audience in a frilly costume, performing something like Shakespeare, made her burst with laughter.  
Heading down the hall she came to a magnificent door. It was red with yellow trimmings and lined with black diamonds. Happiness and Tragedy faces sat on the tops of the doors, while green and pink ribbons twined around them. _So this is the Drama Room. It certainly looks like it._

When she opened the door, about 14 different people were sitting around in scattered places. It seemed like everybody she rode on the bus with was sitting around, laying around, and in some cases, hanging around, " Alice! I didn't know you had asked to be in theatre!" Peter cried, springing towards her joyfully. He took her by the hands and smiled." Oh, Alice, I just know you'll love performing. You certainly are pretty enough! And so cute too!" Peter was obviously lost in his fantasies.

" You really think so? I played around in my last school and the cultural festivals in my hometown, but that's about it," she said humbly.  
" Alice-chan~ Alice-chan~" another higher, much different voice yelled, it was one she had never heard before. A boy came running towards them, his vibrant red hair flipping around his shoulders.  
He jumped on her, wrapping his long arms around her waist." Alice, chu~ You came! You came!" his soprano voice squealed.

" Yes, I did, but..erm.. who are you?" she asked. Alice had remembered seeing him, but his name refused to pop into her mind." I'm Pierce Villiers, chu~"  
_So this is the real Pierce, hm?_

" It's nice to meet you." They shook hands and swapped hugs, much to Peter's dismay." So, what exactly do we do here?"  
" Right now, we wait. The Joker Brothers are the ones who organize the plays we put on, and right now we have to decide which play we want to put on."

" Personally, I think we need to do something full of action!" Boris said, coming close to the trio. Pierce instantly hid behind Alice at Boris's arrival.  
" Really? I was thinking about something mysterious, myself," Nightmare said, joining the conversing group." Hi, Nightmare," Alice smiled warmly to him, to which he smiled back.

The room filled with the sound of a creaky door, and the wine red eyed duo from earlier stepped out from a door she hadn't even noticed until now.  
" Are all participants here? Is anyone missing?" the smiling one asked. The frowning twin stood behind him, glaring at everyone.

The two came to stand in the middle of the room, and the friendlier one cleared his throat." We've been given the assignment to act out various plays at the middle and end of the year, this assignment being given by the Board of Directors. As you all know, we are a Performing Arts School, therefore, we can't say no. Today, Black and I will be presenting the ideas for the plays to the Board of Directors and the Head Mistress, so please be creative."

" Anybody got any ideas yet?" the darker twin glared, a ferocious gleam in his blood red eye.

Nobody said anything, just stared at them." Really? I was sure at least _one_ person would have something for us to debate," the nice twin sighed.

" Actually," a glossy voice said from the shadows," I have something you might be interested in."

Alice's eyes followed the tempting voice, and in the darkest corner of the room was Blood Dupre. He looked like some black angel, with his silky raven hair and serenading blue eyes.  
" What might that be, Mr. Dupre?"

" Well, considering all the interesting characters we have among us, and the variety of relationship between said characters, why don't we do something along the lines of.."

"Alice in Wonderland."

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**Nyuuuh~ You dun mess with the Lizard! Hey, he's got to have something to fight for, right? *wink, wink* *Alice*cough*cough***

**I'd like to keep getting these chapters up quickly, but my Spring break is just about over, so I think it might be just a little slower.**

**Can you believe it? I have another story in my head that I want to put up! For God's sake, I already have, like, 14! I need to stop thinking!**


	13. Lunchtime Date Disaster

**Heartland High **

**Today is a sad day :( My Spring break is over, and school is tomorrow T_T. If my school were in the least bit like this one, I wouldn't mind going. Call it my dream school, I guess?  
Anyway, this is a very fluffy chapter! And if you've noticed, I'm trying to get a Fruits Basket vibe with the story, getting Alice to be as nice as Tohru and everybody else as yandere freaks with never-ending internal problems. So fitting, isn't it? And my poll has a new choice and hopefully I'll(yeah i know i shouldn't be doing this but i need to before somebody beats me to it cause it's just too funny!) have a new story up! Pshhh, I'm pathetic T_T**

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**13. Lunchtime Date Disaster**

" Alice in Wonderland?" they all said in unison. From a distance, Blood gave a quick smirk." That's right."

Placing a hand under his chin, the nicer of the redheaded twins looked deep in thought." Now that is an intriguing idea. I'll let the Board know immediately, but until then, we need to vote ourselves. So, who thinks Alice in Wonderland would be a fitting play this year?"

Looking around, Alice saw a majority of people come out of their dark hiding places with their hands raised. Peter and Boris were raising their hands, so was Nightmare. Blood kept to himself in the shadows, while Elliot, who had somehow been next to him to whole time without being seen, raised his hand as well. The wine haired twins looked around, counting the votes." Wonderful, now all we have to do is get the Board to approve and we'll be good to go. Remember to stop by after school to see the results. If they say yes, then I'll have a list of characters that will need to be played, so we'll draw for them as well."

He clapped his hands then went back to his room, leaving his twin to follow him.

" So what do we do now?" Alice asked. As far as the theatre went, they hadn't done anything, where as something would have been going on were it a festival or school production." Hang out here until it gets approved. The Joker Brothers have close contact with people higher up in the school, so it shouldn't take very long for us to find out," Boris answered. Alice slumped down, sitting gingerly against a wooden crate behind her. She looked at a rose shaped clock on the wall. Still have an hour to go. She sighed heavily.

Hearing her deep sigh, Peter came and sat beside her." Something wrong, my dear?" He looked genuinely worried, but Alice just shrugged and smiled." I'm just sleepy. I was up late getting everything set out in my closet and bathroom."  
Peter almost seemed happy that she was tired." You can lean against my shoulder if you like! It isn't good to be tired on such a lovely day," he said happily, moving closer to the tired girl.

While it may have been weird for her to sleep on someone's shoulder, especially if she had only known them for 2 days, Alice wasn't one to refuse a good nap. Slowly, she leaned over to him and pressed her head against his shoulder. Peter was absolutely high with happiness, he didn't actually think she would take the offer.  
Sighing, he rested his head against hers, smiling in content.

From a distance, Nightmare looked on at the quiet couple, smiling softly to himself. She deserves all the happiness she can find.

The bell rang again and everyone shuffled out to the next class, leaving Alice and Peter alone. Looking at the glossy clock that hung from his belt, Peter felt angered that time was against him being with Alice. But I don't want to wake her up, I couldn't. She looks so peaceful.  
Despite his thoughts of letting her sleep, Peter knew Alice would be mad if he made her late to a class, so he started to softly nudge her, waking her up.

" Alice, my love, it's time to wake up," he spoke softly. She lifted her head and wiped the sleep from her eyes, mumbling softly. She's so cute!

" Mmh.. Peter? What time is it? How long was I asleep?" she mumbled, letting out a soft yawn." Not too long," he smiled at her." C'mon, we have science next, so let's not be late."

Science was just like math; the teacher introduced himself and then let the student talk among themselves. Alice was content with just looking out the window at the now cloudy sky. It had been sunny just an hour ago, so how could it have changed so quickly? Whatever had made it change, the result was a sleepy Alice. She looked so out of it, staring at the slate and silver clouds that lines the skies. Science had just started, so it would be a while until she got to sleep the way she wanted. But she couldn't help feel a quick poke on her side. It wasn't Peter, that much she knew. The teacher, Mr. Kusa, had sent him to the copying room to collect documents.  
No, it wasn't Peter, but someone much taller, more muscular, with wavy orange hair." Elliot, I didn't expect to see you here!" her voice rose at seeing the handsome boy, who justed gave her a warm smile in return.

" Lucky, right? I would have seen you in history and math but you weren't in either class. What happened?" he asked thoughtfully. Just looking at his face, Alice could tell he was worried about her." Oh, just didn't feel good. Not a great way to start off the year, huh?" He shook his head." So, what's up? You liking the school so far?" She nodded." Yes, it's lovely! It reminds me of Sacred Heart a lot, too!" she said, thinking of her old school and friends. Well, maybe not friends, but.. aquaintances. In all honesty, she never had many friends.

" Hey, do you want to hang out with me and some other guys at lunch?" he asked hopefully. Alice smiled, about to say yes, but something in her was just pulling at no." Um, by other guys, who do you mean?"

" Those idiotic Tweedle Twins, me, and Blood. Why?" Blood obviously hadn't told Elliot of the encounter the two had shared. Shaking her head, Alice gave a embarrassed smile." No, I think I'll be skipping out on lunch today. I still have tons of unpacking to do, and I don't want to wait until night to do it," she lied." But thank you for offering, it was nice of you," she added.  
As Alice was about to turn back to the colorless scenery, Elliot tried to think of something to change her mind.

" It can just be the two of us!" he declared. Alice looked at him, confused. At Sacred Heart, nobody had ever asked her to sit with them, let alone it be only two people." I mean.. uh.. you know, if you wanted it to just be the two of us," he stammered. He was blushing a soft red, and to say the least, it was kinda cute.  
" Uh, s-sure! I mean, I don't mean to offend you or anything, I know you like hanging out with Blood-"

" Nah, it's nothing. Blood's a natural when it comes to making enemies, but overall he's a pretty cool guy if you get to know him."  
_I doubt that._

" We can sit out in the garden if you want," Elliot blushed again. " That sounds nice," Alice smiled, making him blush even more.

The cafeteria was more splendid during the afternoon than morning, with steam rising through vents and delectable scents drifting on the breeze. But Alice wasn't inside with her friends, instead she sat alone in the courtyard waiting for Elliot to return. He said he had a surprise for her, something sweet. While thinking about her gift, Alice glanced up at the gloomy clouds above. _This is a bad idea. It might pour any minute, but I suppose we could use one of the awnings._

Some rose bushes parted as Elliot slipped through, carrying a styrefoam box in his hands. Sitting next to her, he slipped the box into her lap." For you," he smiled. Silently opening the box, Alice flipped back the lid only to get hit with a warm blast of cinnamon. Ginger Snaps were piled up in the box, their warm chestnut brown color and cinnamon scent warming up the chilly air around them.  
" Try one, they're really good." Nibbling on the edge of one, Alice smiled. They were good, the taste extravagant.

Elliot took one out for himself and started gnawing on the sides." You should really come and visit us on the weekend one day. The gang and I throw little parties in our dorms, it's a ton of fun! I think you'd really like it."

" I'm not much of a party person," Alice sighed, trying to forget about the subject involving Blood.

" Suit yourself. Anyway, what have you been up to?" he asked. It seemed like Elliot really knew how to spark a conversation." Nothing much, still need to do that unpacking and I have to start that english project with Peter later today and I have to check my laptop sometime today. I bet my sister has sent a million emails in the last hour asking me about this place," Alice chuckled at her sister.  
" Must be nice to have someone look after you," Elliot mumbled. Alice looked at him." What to do you mean?"

" Huh? Er, nothing! Just talking to myself!" he stammered. Alice felt bad about bringing up her family, knowing that Elliot didn't really have much of one. _I'll bet his parents don't know how much the mood swings have calmed down. It's so sad.  
_  
" Elliot, do you ever get upset about it? About not having anyone to turn to?" she asked, looking at the ground.

" Why do you care?" he asked smugly, his mood obviously changing. Alice knew she had hit a nerve over bringing up his personal business." I just wondered if you knew what it would be like. When my mother died, I was stunned. I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep, and I couldn't bear to be in her room or anywhere she would spend a majority of her time in the house. It was so lonely."  
Though she seemed sad, Alice looked up at him hopefully." But it doesn't bother me anymore, because I know there wasn't a thing I could do to stop it."

" Yeah, I get it. I don't care if my parents are dead either," he said thoughtfully. Alice looked at him, really puzzled at that comment." Uh, that's not exactly what I meant. See, I'm not sad about it anymore because I know my mother wouldn't want me to live the rest of my life mourning over her. She'd want me to be happy every day, and live to the best of my ability, not lay around wallowing in pity or something." All the while she said this, Alice gazed at the somber sky.

" I still don't care," he snapped." Those lazy asses threw me in that nut house to first chance they got, and then just," Elliot seemed to cringe at the memory," just left me there. I spent almost six years waiting for them to come back.. but they never-" his eyes were soaking in saltwater," they never came." Alice inched closer to him, taking a napkin from the box and wiping his eyes with it." That's not true! I'm sure they just wanted to find a way to make you happy. A place like that is supposed to sustain a child's needs, right?"

Slapping at the napkin, Elliot hid his face with his hands." Cause chaining the door was supposed to make me real happy, right?" There was no way to hide it now. He was definitely crying, but Alice had a knack for these kind of things. Before her little sister hated her, Alice had learned how to make her stop crying if she ever was. Maybe it would work on him too. She scooted closer until their sides pressed against each other then wrapped her arms around his waist. A good hug always made Edith stop crying, so maybe it would work on Elliot too.

Elliot froze, looking down at the girl who was actually hugging him. She was small all right, her head stopping below his collarbone, but despite her tiny height something about her was amazing. Just the touch of her skin made him feel brand new, something he had really needed the last few years. He slipped his arms around her waist and buried his face in the crook of her neck.  
" Alice, you're so kind," she heard him sigh. His wavy hair tickled her neck, but she didn't mind.

_I just do what comes natural._

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**LUV ME SOME GINGER SNAPS! Such a fluffy chapter, I think I could die! Today is obviously very slow, so maybe this chapter will speed things up. I'd like to have a Sea King chapter up sometime later, but I don't know how well that'll work. We'll see, won't we?**

**Ta Ta~**


	14. Gym and Cooking AND Surprises!

**Heartland High**

**HELLO! I MISSED YOU ALL SO MUCH! I finally have my computer fixed and I'm crying with happiness! I'm working on every unfinished chapter I have!**

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**14. Gym and Cooking AND Surprises!**

After a long talk and trying to cheer Elliot up, the two had to leave the garden because of rain. Not even the steel awnings could have protected someone from this heavy rain and wind.  
Connection class was next, or in other words; gym

Alice wasn't the greatested when it came to sports. In fact, she sucked. But she still tried, even if the outcome was always the same. Standing beneath the awning, Alice braced herself for a drenching until she heard someone call her name."Alice, wait for me!" a boy called. His bright auburn hair bounced as he ran, his breath staggering. He finally caught up with her, an umbrella tight in his grip."Alice chu, where are you going?" he yelled over the rain.

"To gym," she yelled back. Pierce opened the umbrella, covering them from the rain. They walked together, trying to understand each other through the rain. Reaching a square shaped building, the two headed inside after Pierce shook the raindrops from his umbrella.

"So this is the Gym building," Alice gasped, admiring the size. It looked so small on the outside! Basketball hoops hung from walls while bleachers were pulled out." Alice? You're in gym?" Ace walked over, sounding surprised." Yeah, I am. Is that bad?"

" I thought girls didn't like getting all sweaty and stuff. They always cry about it," he said innocently. Alice huffed out a sigh.

"What did I say?"  
-*-*

Alice had been fitted for her gym clothes; a solid white t-shirt with a navy H and a pair of knee length navy atheletic shorts. While waiting for everyone to be dressed, Alice satted cross-legged on the floor. Pierce had joined her in his gym dress code; a solid white t-shirt with a pair of navy mesh atheletic pants.  
"So what do we do in Gym?"

"Oh, just the basics, chu~ We start with volleyball, then basketball, badmitton and tennis, it just goes on. The coach tries to get in as many sports as possible before the term is over," Pierce answered. Alice felt a slight pang in her chest. Having to play all those sports in front of people was embarrassing, at least for her.

_SCREEECH!_

A whistle blew, making Alice's eardrums pound. Watching everyone line up together made Alice feel left out, so she lined up with them. A man stood before them. He was tall, bald-headed, and buff. Alice saw the hated whistle dangle from his neck, eyeing it evily." Alright. You all know the rules," he said, passing by," except you," he pointed to Alice." It's simple. We're starting with volleyball, so find a team of 4. This is Gym, so we don't exactly play by standard rules. Either way, you'll learn something by the end of my class. Now find a team!" he blew the horrid whistle.

Alice stood off to the side with Pierce while other kids scrambled around. Ace found his way into their group. Standing around idly, Alice noticed someone standing alone."Who is... Julius? Julius!" she called, running to him. He turned, slightly surprised that someone was looking for him. "Hey," she said, huffing for air," want to be on our team?" He glared for a minute, only to nod his head."Okay!" She dragged him over to their circle.

They spent the day learning how to pass to each other with under-hand and over-hand, or whatever the term may have been. Alice was very surprised; Julius was amazing at volleyball, Ace a close second. She and Pierce were ok, but there were more misses than hits for them. The bell rang and everyone changed clothes, and Alice walked to her next class. Ace joined her, as Pierce and Julius had completely different classes.

"So, you _suck_ at volleyball," Ace laughed. Alice stared at him, but continued walking."Perhaps, but for a freshman, my social status is much higher than yours. Not for the reason you'd think, either."  
Ace just stood there for a minute while Alice kept walking."Wow... she's right!"

Alice stood outside of the Home Economics class. She was early. Pushing the door aside, she took a seat at one of the islands in the middle of the room. She sat by herself for a good 10 minutes until the door opened to let another person in. Alice bit her lip and held her breath. It was Gray. She hadn't seen him since their little "talk" that morning, and she still felt that there was a thick wall between them. Scratch that, maybe three or four walls. He didn't look at her, just sat next to her and glared at the white table before them.

The akward silence was sickening. After a big gulp, Alice looked at him. Unfortunately, he had already been looking at her, and when their eyes met he merely smiled. Alice quickly averted her eyes, a blush rising up her cheeks."S-so you uh, you asked for Economics too, huh?" she asked, trying to once again break the ice. He shook his head."No, I've never asked for Economics or Art in my four years here, but I somehow end up with both every year," he answered.

A bell rang and at least 20 other people filled the room, taking up seat that had once been empty. A woman was the last to enter. She had fire red hair tied in a tight bun and neon green eyes. Glasses topped her nose and a clipboard was cradled by her arm. "Hello everyone," she didn't sound very happy to be here," I'm Ms. Chouri, your Economics teacher. There's really nothing to say about my class except you'll be cooking day in and day out. And no whining about it either. So, go find a cooking buddy and we'll get started."

With everyone paired up, there wasn't anyone Alice could ask, so she was stuck with Gray. She felt extremely uncomfortable next to him, something he seemed to sense. Ms. Chouri ordered them to spend the rest of class looking for a sweet recipe and then tomorrow they would prepare whatever they found. Alice flipped open a cookbook laying next to her, skimming over whatever looked sweet. Gray leaned in closer, making Alice shift to the side. From the corner of her eye, Alice saw his hand snake over. He closed the book and looked at her.  
"Hey, that was rude!" she snapped."What is with yo-" " Am I bad person?"

Alice blinked, processing his question."..What?"

"Do you think I'm a bad person?"

She shook her head, opening the book a second time."No, I don't think so. You're very kind, but you just have to let people get past the exterior."  
"So.. you think I'm.. scary?" he asked, trying to make sense of the answer."From a distance, but I don't think you're a bad person. We can't help what we look like," she finished."Hey, what do you think of this?" she pointed to something in the book. It was a cake with chocolate frosting, decorated with strawberrries and raspberries.  
"It's nice.."

"Okay! We'll do this!" she said excitedly. Gray looked at her, recollecting what she had said.

_I have to stop that trick.._

* * *

**It looks like Gray is having second thoughts about the Freshman Initiation prank. Do you think he'll stop it?**


	15. The Party's Just Begun!

**Heartland High**

**So I've finally reached the part in this story where I can get into detail about events and other things in the story. Some major drama is on the way! But there will still be plenty of cute moments for Alice and her friends. Some are a little too cute :3**

* * *

**15. The Party's Just Begun; the Downfall Has Finally Come**

Alice flipped through more pages. All was quiet in the room except for the small talk going on. Gray sat to the side, keeping his thoughts to himself. Before the bell rang, the teacher went to the front of the room.

"Well, I hope you all found something to cook tomorrow, because if I see you looking through magazines for any other reason than directions it will be automatic zeros for both of you. The kitchen is no place to mess around, and that isn't just the coffee talking." Some boys at the door were laughing qiuetly, but it was enough for a very angry teacher to snatch their hands and smash a ruler against them. The boys recoiled their hands, crying."Hmph! It's boys like you that make my job difficult! Bell or not, get out of my room now!" She flung the door open.

Everyone scrambled out except for Alice. She went up to Ms. Chouri."Ms. Chouri, may I borrow this magazine? I found a recipe, but I don't think I'm skilled enough to do it. I don't think I can pull off anything in here, actually." Alice was very wrong. She was a marvelous cook, but when her mother died she lost confidence in herself. She rarely cooked anymore. For a long time she had almost forgotten how. Ms. Chouri, who seemed mad, suddenly softened."Of course. You can borrow them any time you like."

Alice was in her room putting books and clothes away. It was the end of the day for her. In about 3 weeks her schedule would change and her day would be even longer, but for now she would enjoy herself. Flopping on her bed, Alice pulled out her laptop and used the amazing thing known as 'Wifi'. Suddenly, Alice remembered her promise with Peter. _When was that due?_  
She E-mailed Peter.

_Hey Peter,_  
_I'll be honest and say I'm being lazy, so I was thinking we could do that project over email. Write me back._

Alice laughed at her modesty. Putting that way, she layed down against her clover shaped pillows. She suddenly felt so tired. Looking at the clock, Alice saw that it was close to 2:30, so what could a little nap do? She went to sleep. She went into a very heavy sleep. So heavy, she didn't hear the door open to let five shadowy people in.

Alice tossed lightly. She was dreaming. In a strange world, misty. It swirled together, creating foamy greens and purples and pinks. She tossed again. It made her visitors nervous, and only forced them to move faster."She'll wake up any second!" a voice cried." Shhhh!" another voiced whispered."Just hurry up and finish the decorating!"

_ce.._  
_lice.._  
_Alice.._

Alice heard a muffled voice call her name. She stirred. Opening her eyes, Alice came face to face with a sickeningly sweet room. Pretty cakes were everywere as balloons touched the ceiling. Streamers sprawled over the floor and drinks were set out neatly on the coffee table. Blinking, Alice turned to see 5 other people looking at her, laughing at her surprise."What is all this? Did you all..?"

"Surprise! Welcome to Heartland High!" they shouted together. Alice laughed, but then realized what this was. Her Freshman Initiation was a surprise party! "How did you do this?" she asked. They laughed at her."Well, it wasn't too hard. I've never seen anyone sleep like that!" they laughed again. Alice scratched her cheek sheepishly; she _was_ a pretty heavy sleeper.  
"Well, now that we're all here, let's get this party started," Nightmare laughed.

Alice had a wonderful time. They all did. They ate and drank merrily, talking about classes and the latest news and gossip. For the first time, Alice saw Julius give a genuine smile. She was glad. Gowland was naturally so carefree and he brought out the better side of Julius. Vivaldi, however, was another story. She was amazing. Everything that made someone perfect was what made up Vivaldi. She had grace, beauty, style, and when she spoke there was a powerful tone in her voice. Though she didn't really know Vivaldi, Alice already admired her.

Alice checked the clock. It was almost 5:30, and she needed to shower and work on homework. Although she was having a good time, Alice knew it needed to end. She put her plate down and clapped."This party was a really nice thing to do, and I'm really grateful to you guys for putting it together, but I have some seriously hardcore cleaning to do now, and homework and a shower and..."

"We understand," Gray smiled. As they threw cups and plates away, Vivaldi came over to Alice."Did you have fun?"  
"Yeah, I did. You?" She nodded."Well, enjoy your stay here," she patted Alice on the arm and left. When everyone was gone, Alice went to picking up confetti and streamers.

"Hey, sweat pea. Need some help?" Gowland asked from the doorway."Sure." He got on his knees and swept confetti into his palms."So, did you enjoy the party?"  
"I did. It's been a long time since I've had fun like that. Thank you."

"I didn't really have anything to do with it. It was those clover dorm boys who planned it all out. You should thank them." Alice smiled."I will."

After a minute or two of streamer collecting, Alice stopped." Hey, Gowland. I hope you don't mind my asking, but how old are you?" He stopped to look at her, puzzled."If you really want to know, I started school ahead of everyone, but when I was in kindergarten my parents wanted me to stay behind so I would be doubled for next year. I think I started two years? Maybe three years earlier? Anyway, did that answer your question?"

She nodded.

They finished cleaning. Before Gowland said goodbye, he patted her on the head."If you ever need anything, you come to me. I'll take care of ya," he said. Alice playfully pushed him out of the room, laughing while she did. Leaning against the door, Alice slid down to fall on the floor. She pulled her knees up to her face and sat there.

_I love it here! They're all so good to me, I don't even know what to say._

_BEEP_

Her laptop buzzed. Knowing it was Peter, she flipped it open. She obviously knew nothing, because this wasn't Peter.

_Princess,_

_Will you meet me out in the garden? I knnow the rain is still going, but not nearly as strong as it once was. There are things I'd like to straighten out with you._

Alice didn't need a weathervain to tell which way the wind blew. She typed back ferociously.

_Why? I don't have anything nice to say about you, and it's probably the same way around. Blood, I really don't want to start the year off like this._  
_I don't even know you. I don't want someone to hate me, but the way you acted was unforgivable. If you really hate me so much, why do you even bother talking to me?_  
_I try to understand you, but it just blows up in my face. Sometimes I think that's the way you expect it to turn out. It's not funny. I just.. don't feel comfortable around you._  
_Sorry, but I'd rather not go out in the rain for someone that choked me._

Alice slammed the send button. She was enraged just by thinking about that accident. The feeling of his fingers curling around her throat made her sick. She stuffed a pillow in her face, only to wait for his reply. It wasn't what she expected.

_If you feel this way, let's try to resolve it like people, not animals. I would love the chance to get to know you better, and I'd like to think you feel that way about me. Since the rain is postponing our meeting, I'll do you one better. __I'll be at your door in 15._

Alice gasped. She was horrified. The last thing she needed was a guy who looked exactly like her ex in her room, trying to get to know her better. God only knows what people would say. Knowing that there wasn't time to do anything but change clothes, Alice changed into a t-shirt and pajama shorts. The last thing anyone would say was that she was the one seducing. Hmph, I already have a lot on my mind. You're just dying to make it worse, aren't you.

Pacing back and forth, Alice tried to stay calm._ Stay calm, as if!_ She was anxiety struck, and went to the feeble position of hiding in he rcloset. She remembered how the feeling of heartbroken-lovesick nonsense had plagued her. She didn't want it back. Closing both doors in her closet, _and hoping she wouldn't get locked in,_ Alice waited until she heard a knock at the door. Knowing that Blood would have the nerve to let himself in, she didn't say anything. He did let himself in..

.. and Alice held her breath as footsteps paced around the room.

* * *

**Well, I fold. Can't think of another thing to write about... Anyway, what needs to happen next? I already have a date, a scandal, and a shocking surprise planned out, but what's gonna tie them all together? I needz assistance!**


	16. Family Bonds

**Heartland High **

**Merry Christmas, everyone! Or whatever else you celebrate! I can't wait for Christmas in the story, Alice will have so many presents! Anyway, Alice is remembering how horrible she felt after she gave everything to a guy who didn't love her in this chapter. She and Blood discover a small connection here. I had to find something to tie the next few chapters together.**

* * *

**16. Family Bonds**

Alice was hiding in a closet. Why she was hiding in a closet, she didn't know. Maybe it was because of bad memories. Hiding made them go away faster. But that didn't really apply when a crazy mafia man was outside looking for you. The doors swung open and Alice felt a tight grip wrap around her wrist and yank her up. She felt herself press against a broad chest, and glancing up she saw a devilish smirk on Blood's face.

"Trying to play hide and seek? My, my, how cute," he grinned. She pulled away." J-just get out! Go away!" Alice pointed at the door, frustrated.

"But if I leave who knows when we'll have another chance like this?" He pulled her back against him and started to twirl around the room, spinning her back and forth, dipping under his arms. Alice broke a spin and fell flat on her bed. Stars spun around her head. Blood smirked again. He sat on the bed, his knee touching hers. She blushed, her bangs hiding her eyes. Reaching over, Blood used a finger to brush her bangs away and pull her face closer to his."Now, what is it about me that you don't like?"

Alice jerked away."Well, let's see. You nearly killed me, you threatened me, and you told me I was a goodie-twoshoes compared to everyone else, which I certainly am not! I have problems just like anyone else. Sure, some people have it worse than me, but you don't hear me complaining, do you? I just don't need this. So.. go away," she sighed. Blood listened to her, not contradicting one word. After a long pause, Alice was pushed down against the bed. Blood was pinning her down, straddling her as he did. He lowered his lips to hers, locking them in a kiss. Alice fought it. She didn't want this. Despite her efforts, Blood was obviously stronger than her. She twitched and tried to kick away, but that only made Blood pursue her mouth even more. He placed light kisses down her neck, watching her scared face as he did. He stopped.

"Princess, why do you fight me? Any other girl I know would be enjoying this, but you hate this more than anything. Why?" he asked, seemingly confused. Alice seemed surprised. Blood was actually waiting for her."I.. I..

"You.. what?"

Blood leaned up, releasing her arms."I only have so much patience, you know."

" I USED TO HAVE A BOYFRIEND _JUST LIKE YOU_!" she screamed.

Blood's eyes widened. It was a rather surprising truth, actually. He stood up completely, leaving her free to move. She leaned up weakly, tears coming to her eyes."He looked like you. Exactly like you. He almost sounds the same as you, and slightly acts like you. He was always so convincing, so I didn't have to think twice when he left me for..

..for my sister."

Blood sighed, sounding almost interested." There. Now you can put my past down with everyone else's. My boyfriend left for my big sister, my mom is dead, my dad works all the time and never comes home, and my little sister hates me. Happy?" Alice bit her lip. She was fighting back tears. Standing up, she left to go to the bathroom; it was an excuse to cry her heart out. Alice leaned against the wall, sliding down to the floor. She just sat there, staring at the tile floor. Blood glanced at her through the doorway. Slowly, he went into the bathroom and sat next to her.

"What was this other man like?"

Alice thought about it."He was smart. Streetsmart, booksmart, you name it. And he was polite, but I guess that was just a cover up for me to think otherwise about advances on my sister."  
Alice rested her head on her knees."I should have known something like that would have happened. Lorina doesn't understand how beautiful and smart and classy she is. Every guy in the world falls in love with her. My boyfriend wasn't any different."

"I know I shouldn't compare the two of you, but you look so much like him. There are just so many bad memories in that part of my life. I didn't want to bring them back..."

Blood stared at her, surprised. He huffed out a sigh."We're in the same boat, you and I. My mother died many years ago and my father works all the time. And being in both a mafia and a boarding school, I don't get to see him often. We're actually quite alike. Strange, isn't it?"

Alice's eyes widened. She and Blood were alike. A lot more than she thought. But that was only with family.

"Maybe. But... I try not to think about my family anymore. Things aren't the way they used to be. That's the whole reason I came to this school. All I want is to get away from that house. I'm not leaving for anyone. I'm graduating and then going out to do something useful with my life..."

"Useful is good. You should keep broad perspectives. They'll take you far in life."

"You think so?"

Blood gave a devilish grin."I know so. And while we're on the subject... I apologize for my behavior. I suppose things got a bit out of hand."

"_Suppose_?" Alice chimed. Blood sighed."Fine. Things were_ way out of hand_, so forgive me."

"No."

Blood stiffled a laugh. Standing up, he reached for Alice's hand. He escorted her to her bed. Alice sat down, but Blood headed for the door.

"So Princess, have we worked things out?" he asked before opening the door."...sure."

"Wonderful. I'll see you tomorrow in drama. We have to pick out our roles, you know." He left.

Alice huddled together under the covers. She slowly realized her mistakes. Giving away her past to a stranger was a foolish move, but Alice was miles away from that now. Her sister could do anything she wanted. Both of them could. Alice didn't care anymore. In a few years she would move on. And if Alice secretly got her wish, she wouldn't ever see her family again. Hiding beneath the covers, Alice shut her eyes tightly. A bad dream waited for her tonight.

_Hmph. Who knows what kind of character he'll get. He's as mad as a Hatter._

* * *

**Fail statement= fail statement XD Anyway, I don't really know where to go from here. Any ideas?**

**THERE'S A NEW POLL! GO LOOK! NOW!**


	17. You're Such a Joker!

**Heartland High**

**Ahhh~ This chapter has been on my mind for a while. Sorry for typos, as usual. And I have semi-rapist looking fanart for the next chapter.*SPOILER* It's not my fault Alice walks in on naked men! I'll put up a link for that later~ And don't forget about the poll on my profile! It's Friday! Friday!*gets shot***

* * *

**17. You're Such a Joker!**

Alice slept soundly through the night. She didn't toss or turn, or even the slightest movement. That merely showed how bad stress was when it came to someone like her. She did stir, however, when her alarm rang at 6:30 am. Pushing herself up with all the early morning strength she had, Alice rolled out of bed and headed to the shower. The hot water burned, but Alice considered it a "pick me up". While pulling a comb through her wet brown hair, Alice dug through her closet for clothes. She found a more appropriate school themed outfit: a white button up polo shirt and skirt that brushed below her knees. Adjusting a bow in her damp hair, Alice looked at the clock. _7:15 am._

_I'm grateful today is Friday. Yesterday wasn't so hot. Maybe I can spend the weekend in my room with a good book. Yeah.. I'll do that..._

Alice nodded off, lost in thought, when someone knocked on the door.

_KNOCK, KNOCK_

Jumping up, Alice opened the door to see Elliot smiling brightly at her."Heya. Ready for class?" he asked. She nodded. Closing the door, the two of them walked to the cafeteria together, and found a table all to themselves. Alice made a makeshift bed using her arms, resting her head. Elliot poked her."Hey, you ok? You don't look so great." Alice lifted her head."I'm fine. Just tired, that's all. I didn't really sleep as much as I wanted to, but I guess nobody does, right?"

Elliot laughed."Nah, have you seen Blood when the weekend rolls around? Can't get him outta bed for anything, cept' maybe some black tea." Alice's eyes widened."..A tea fetish?" A few second went by, then they broke with laughter." Ha, that was a good one Alice." She smiled."How can you be so close to him? I-I mean, not implying anything, really! Just, why do you like him so much? Do he do something for you?" He nodded.

"A few years ago, Blood broke me out of the looney bin. Took a whole lotta plannin', but worked out fine in the end. If it weren't for him, I'd still be there gettin' drugged up every other hour and goin' through Hell _A.K.A_ therapy. I owe him everything."

"Blood's very good to you, isn't he?" she asked. Elliot nodded."Are you kiddin'? He's my savior!" Before Elliot could say another word, the bell for class rang out. They stood up, stretched, and walked down the hall."Where you headed to?"

"Sasshi. I missed her class yesterday and I'm already a day late starting a project," Alice replied sheepishly. Elliot slapped her on the arm."Man, the Honor Roll isn't gonna be very friendly to you." They both laughed then parted ways. Alice found herself in Sasshi's room, only to get scolded for missing the entire period. While other kids did their projects, Alice stood at Miss Sasshi's desk, explaining why she hadn't been there. She knew nobody would buy the "identical twins hanging from trees" bit, so she had to make up an excuse.

"Well, the week before school started, I had the flu. I thought it was gone, but the day before school I threw up. My big sister said I should stay home and show up late but I didn't want to show up late so I tried to get over it, but as soon as I went up the stairs to my dorm I threw up everywhere. I got to the bathroom in time, but I missed this class and my next one. You can even ask the teacher!" Alice told her, hoping her lie would satisfy. Miss Sasshi sighed, but gave in.

"Well, since you're sick, I'll give you and Peter an extra day to work together, but that's it! No more freebies! And... by the way, what book were you going to get?" Alice froze. She knew this was a trick to catch her. Thinking of a title she had recently read, Alice relaxed." Hawthorne Heights. I love that book." Sasshi squealed."I do too!"

_It's like looking at myself,_ Alice thought.

...

The rest of the day went by as slow as a turtle. Alice was ready to bang her head in by the time she was in gym. Changing into her gym attire, Alice joined up with her group. They practiced more spiking and passing, but after a few minutes, Alice passed to Pierce and went to the bleachers to sit down. Noticing her somber face, Pierce ran to her."Alice chu~ What are you doing? Do you not like volleyball?"

She shook her head."No, it's not that. I had to lie to one of my teachers today. I feel so... gross." Pierce cocked his head to the side."Why?"

"Well, I didn't want some other kids to get in trouble. I missed the whole class though, and now Miss. Sasshi is keeping a close eye on me."

Pierce just shrugged."Chu~ She'll let it go after a while. Alice chu is too nice to be mad at for long," Pierce cried, giving her a hug. Alice cringed."Pierce.. you're killing me," she breathed.

...

Alice had no cooking spirit. Gray noticed this and gave her a nudge."Are you feeling ok? You seem to be tired." Alice nodded."I am, but it's fine. We can still start working on the cake." Alice yawned, reaching for a round cake pan. Gray stopped her, taking it from her grasp."You're too tired. Let me start, we'll finish it tomorrow: together."

"Okay..." Alice yawned again. She rested her head on the table. Gray could handle it.

_Ring~_

Everyone shuffled out. Gray poked her awake. Before they left, Alice turned around to look at Gray's progress. Her eyes widened."Gray! You finished it! How? The prep time itself is 20 minutes longer than the class period."

"Well, I guess I pulled a few strings to make it go faster. But I think it'll be fine."

...

Alice admired the school for many things, but her favorite had to be the quietness. It was so peaceful for a boarding school. She sat alone in the garden, staring up at the sky. The wind whipped her hair playfully, and Alice found herself lying on her back, gazing up at the lacey clouds. The sun was warm against her cheeks, and the shade of a nearby tree was cool and relaxing. It reminded her of being home again. But a sudden shadow blocked the sun from her face.

"Woah! You look totally wasted. Where were you last night?" the shadow said. Opening her eyes, Alice found herself staring up at Ace. He grinned at her before sitting down. He plopped down on his back and joined her at looking at the sky."This place is so peaceful," Alice sighed."Yeah, and big too! One time I got lost in the rose maze on the other side of the campus!" Alice looked at him questioningly."Hey, once you go into that maze it's hard to get out," Ace said in his defence.

_I doubt that._

Alice closed her eyes and listened to the breeze. She heard Ace get up and dust off his pants."Well, see ya around. All this talk about mazes has put me in the mood for camping!" he cried, then disappeared into the garden.

_Does he realize he was the only one talking? And how do you get lost in a rose maze? It can't be that hard..._

Alice flopped on her side and tucked herself in at the base of the tree. The ground was so warm and the wind whistled beneath the leaves, creating a lullaby. Alice thought for a short second that she may have been in paradise before she fell asleep again.

...

"Well, well, if it isn't Alice Liddell," a sly voice cooed. Alice squinted to see who was calling her. She had been so content, too. Leaning up, she stretched out her arms and looked up."Hi White, hi Black," she smiled."Hello, Alice. Lovely to see you again. I noticed that you were sleeping during drama today. Pardon me, but that isn't very productive for our play," he waved a finger at her. Alice sighed."I know, I shouldn't have been sleeping. It won't happen again."

"It better not, slacker!" Black hissed.

Alice's brow line creased together."Excuse me?"

"Black. Calm down, it was just one time," White snapped.

"I don't care! If she's gonna be in this play she needs to get her act together and quit sleeping around!" he pushed White away.

"Alice, please ignore him. Here," White apologized, holding out a tiny bowl."Since I knew you wouldn't get your part today, I postponed handing them out to everyone. I'll tell you what: to make up for sleeping through class, why don't you go around and find everyone in drama and have them take a strip of paper from the bowl. Make sure they don't look, and while you're at it, tomorrow you can help me make a list for the script."

That sounded complex. A little too complex. But it was her own fault, so Alice agreed."By the way Alice, you will play the Alice in our production, since you already fit the part so well."

"...Sure, that's fine."

"Excellent. Now go on and pass those papers out before time runs away. You don't want to waste the weekend more than you have to," White smiled, waving at her as he and Black turned back to the drama room.

_Well, looks like I have an afternoon job now._

Alice glanced up at the sky. It was a swirling mix of great purples and oranges.

_White was right! Geez, how long was I out? I better start finding people or it'll be midnight before I know it!_

* * *

**LOL.. IDK. Anyway, with no clue what to put on here at the moment, I leave you with anticipation~ And if you have none of that, then I leave you with nothing!**

**Sayonara~**


	18. Passing the Roles

**Heartland High**

**Haiii~ New chappie~ Alice's first weekend has finally arrived, so what should she do? While you think about that, read the chapter(and if you like the cute shoujo moments then you'll love this!)**

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**18. Passing the Roles**

Alice ran from the garden. She had to give everyone a strip from the bowl or she'd be in even more trouble with the Joker Brothers. Climbing the stairs in the main building, Alice was turning to the Diamond Yellow Dorms when she collided with Boris.

"Yeow~ Alice? What are you doing here?" Boris asked, rubbing his head. Alice apologized, then answered."Well, I'm running the a favor for White and Black. Here," she replied, holding out the bowl for him,"you need to take one to see what part you get for the play."

Boris reached in and took one. Reading his paper, he grinned."Cool~"

"I'd ask what you got, but I'm in a hurry. Where are Gowland and Pierce?"

"Meh, the old man's in the observatory. It's the spacey lookin' building on the other side of campus. I don't know where the rat is."

...

Alice turned and went to her dorm hallway. She knocked on Julius's door. No answer. Creeping in, Alice gently shut the door. She'd just leave his role and a note explaining _why _she had been there on the desk. Or, that's what she would have done if she hadn't noticed the shower faucet shutting off and the bathroom door opening. Julius had his eyes on the floor for a split second until he noticed a young girl in his room.

All_ Hell_ broke loose.

Julius jumped behind a desk and Alice tore the door open only to practically fly outside into the hallway and huddle in a corner in a feeble position. The door opened and Alice stood up, her face blood red with embarrassment. Julius stood in the doorway, a green towel wrapped around his waist that fell all the way to the floor. He was sopping wet, but it wasn't until they stared at each other for a while that Alice realized how masculine, yet how feminine, he really was. His chest and arms were toned, musculed. His hair was clinging to his shoulders and back: if certain apendages hadn't been there, Alice would have thought _he_ was a _she._

"Well! ?"

"...What?.."

"What the hell was that! ?" Alice's cheeks turned darker."Why are you snooping around other peoples' rooms? Is that some nasty habit of yours? Or do you just _prefer_ seeing people naked in the shower? Is that it?"

"W-well I.. I mean..there w-..." Alice turned her face down, her bangs obscuring her eyes. She held out the plastic bowl with paper strips."What is that?"

"From the Jokers. We're drawing for our parts and I was looking for you but you didn't answer the door so I was going to leave the a paper on the desk but then you came out an-" Alice puffed out quietly without a breath between words. Julius instantly felt bad. She wasn't purposely peeking. It was just a freak accident.

"I'm s-sorry. I wasn't looking because I wanted to, I just need to find everyone before the day's over, but it's late and..." Alice felt a tear slip down her hot face. Then another, and another...

Julius grabbed her wrist and pulled her inside. He led her to the bed. Sitting down, he wrapped his arms around her tightly. Alice tried to pull away, but Julius wouldn't have it. Alice knew this was improper: a young girl in the arms of a partially naked man weren't circumstances she wanted to be under. His chest was cooling to her hot face, her burning eyes. He gently stroked her shoulder.

"J-Julius...stop it. I have to go give everyone their roles..."

"You won't leave looking like that. I won't allow it," he said sternly. He took the tip of his towel and wiped one side of her face, caressing the other side with his hand. He brushed her bangs away and dried her eyes. Alice rubbed her eyes."There. At least you look presentable." He let go of her and stood up himself."I.. apologize for earlier."

"It's okay. I kinda thought you'd react like that. But it's my fault. I didn't have any right to be in your room. Sorry."

"I don't mind. Trust me, I'm used to having nightly intrusions."

Julius took his strip and Alice headed to the door."Julius... please put some clothes on."

He gave a glare."If you'd leave already that wouldn't be a problem!"

...

Heading to other dorms, Alice found that neither Gray or Nightmare were in their dorms. Blood and Elliot weren't either, but the twins were there, and happily accepted her visit."Onee-san! We thought you didn't love us anymore!" the cried, jumping into her arms. Alice seemed shocked."Why would you say that? Of course I love you two~ So cute!"

"White wanted me to tell you two that you'll be playing the Tweedle twins in the play since, well, you know...identical twins and everything," she explained.

"Will Onee-san be the Pretty Queen?" Dee asked.

Alice shook her head."You mean, the Queen of Hearts?"

"No," Dum said," the Pretty Queen, 'cause our sister is pretty~" Alice blushed."No, I'm playing the main character Alice, you know, the one that falls down the rabbit hole?" "Ohhhh~"

"Well, I have to go. Where are Blood and Elliot?"

"Boss is in the school's library, an' chicky boy is in the Gym."

...

Alice jogged to the library. She had to use common sense, considering there wasn't a soul around to tell her where it was. Opening a door, Alice peeked in and gasped. It was the library; the greatest library she'd ever seen! Bookshelves nearly touched the wall and ladders stretched along the wall to help students find books. Chairs and couches were spread out and a few fireplaces were carefully molded into the wall so nothing could catch fire. Peeking around, Alice saw the ravenette sitting by the fireplace, sipping from a teacup and reading a book. Walking over, Alice tapped his shoulder. He turned to glare at her with his icy blue eyes, a smirk rolling onto his face.

"My, my, come all this way just to see me? You're quite the _cat_, Princess," he cooed. Alice simply scoffed."Don't flatter yourself," she said, holding out the bowl."Take one. It's for the play."

Blood reached in and took one, only to give a mischevious grin in response."Just what I wanted!" he laughed. Alice crossed her arms."Pfff, what is it? The Lunatic Hatmaker?"

Blood smiled."It's not nice to look, Princess."

"Whatever."

Alice skipped to the gym. She could hear something bouncing of the walls. Turning the corner, Alice saw Elliot dribbling a basketball. He shot for the net. He made it.  
"Nice toss," she cheered. Elliot jumped, embarassment painting his face."Oi, whaddaya doing, sneaking up on a guy?"

"Sorry. Here, take one of these. It's for the play." Elliot grabbed one and read it."Hmph, what a weirdy role."

"What is it?"

"The March Hare. How am I supposed to dress for that?"

"You have to dress for the part yourself?" Elliot nodded."Well, you get access to the dressing room, but the outfit you put together is a big part of the grade. Do you have any idea how embarrasing it would be to fail drama?" Alice patted him on the shoulder gently."You'll do fine. It's memorizing the script that calls for worrying."

"Nah. Once it's in my head, it's stuck."

Alice shrugged."Anyway, have you seen any of the seniors? I can't find any of them and it's really late."

"Don't worry. Lemme show ya around," Elliot offered.

...

"First stop, observatory," Elliot said, taking Alice past the garden and to the farthest building there was. Going inside, Alice gazed up. The ceiling was parted in the middle, showing off the beautiful stars.

"Howdy Alice," Gowland called from the desk. She strode over to him and held out the bowl."Take one. It's for the play." Gowland took one."Thanks, sweety."

They crossed the walkway into another part of the school. Alice hadn't been here before."If ya wanna find seniors, this is the best place to look. It's specifically for them."  
Opening the door, Alice glanced around. It reminded her of the library, but with a more... scientific look? Books and chairs made up a lounge, but walls were scattered with job offers and college reviews. A firepit was built into the floor, and was glowing warmly, the coals holding a nice heat.

Looking around, Alice saw someone next to the firepit, holding their hands out gingerly. A flowing brown blanket covered them from head to toe, and they kept close contact with the fire until Alice closed the door. The blanketed person turned to her.

"Alice!" they cried. She strode closer to them."Nightmare, is that you?" He smiled."Ah~ So cold!" he exclaimed, turning back to the fire."So, what brings you here?"

She held out the bowl. She explained that it was for the play, and to save some time, he should not only take one himself, but for Gray as well. Nightmare took two, giving a strange glance at his before shoving Gray's role into his pocket."Be sure to give that to him! Don't forget!" she called while heading down the hall. While Elliot and Alice walked and talked, Ace turned the corner only to run into them.

"Hiya Alice! Hey there, Elliot. How are ya?" he gave a goofy grin. Alice gave a playful sigh, but Elliot gave a low groan. He obviously wasn't fond of Ace. Alice told Ace about the play and about the papers. After letting Ace take a role, the duo escorted him back to his dorm."Hey, is Peter in his room? I still need to give him his part."

"Yup. I know because I was bothering him earlier~"

Alice knocked on Peter's door. He cracked the door, but then flung it open when he realized it was Alice."Alice, my dove~ You've come to see me!" Wiggling out of his grip, Alice held out the plastic bowl."For you." Peter slowly took one, reading it before looking back at her. Elliot just stared at him. Something about Peter just made his_ blood boil_. Despite this, he would restrain himself... at least for Alice.

After finally convincing Peter that Elliot was a fine escort, Alice took a few steps down the hall to Vivaldi's room. She knocked on the door lightly. It squeaked open and showed a beautiful, fair-skinned woman. Her gorgeous violet eyes met Alice's soft teal ones."Alice, We are rather surprised that you come all this way to see Us. What do you need?"

"We're all drawing for the play in drama. Here," Alice showed her the almost empty bowl. Vivaldi reached in and took one."Thank you," she said graciously. Alice blushed. Vivaldi was so perfect~

...

After walking Alice to her dorm, Elliot gave a chuckle. As she turned to go inside, Elliot stopped her."N-no, wait!" he cried. Alice froze, but turned to glance at him. He was blushing furiously."Well I..I mean.. I know I was just showin' you around and all, but I was hopin' we could do this again sometime..."

Alice blushed."Sure.."

"Well.. goodnight," he waved, before practically running back to his dorm.

Alice huffed out a long sigh. After settling into a nightgown, Alice had sent an email to every person in drama. She had a feeling she'd need to know _who_ had _what_, so that's what the email asked for. Alice didn't bother checking, she was too tired. But when she settled beneath the covers for the night, Alice was plagued by a sickening nightmare.

And no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't make herself wake up.

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**Sorry for typos. I was in a bit of a hurry~ So fluffy, so kawaii~ I, unfortunatly, dream of that kinda stuff every night!  
Well... REMEMBER THE POLL! And if you've already voted on it...THEN I LOVEEE YOU!**


	19. International Friendship

**Finally back~ My fingers aren't used to the excessive typing, but whatever~**

**A/N: There will be a new poll up in a little while and its a little different, but it build up the story! After you read this chapter, go look at it.  
Another A/N: The poll currently up will be taken down in a few days, so if you haven't already voted go do it now!**

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**19. International Friendship**

Alice ran through nowhere. She was running away from monsters, but they were closing in fast. They grabbed her, biting and clawing at her. Alice screamed. She screamed louder than she'd ever screamed in her life.

_CE_  
_ALICE!_

Alice bolted up, panting with fear. Sweat beads dabbed her forehead while a hammer pounded in her chest. Jerking to the side, Alice saw a very worried Nightmare next to her. His hands were holding on to hers tightly. Catching her breath, Alice glanced at him with a smile."H-hey Nightmare..w-what are you doing here?" she breathed out, lightheaded. Nightmare leaned closer, his brows shaped like a V.

"I was heading back to my dorm, but when I walked by your room I heard screaming, so I thought you might need help."

Alice flopped back down. She rubbed her eyes."I guess...I guess I was having my own nightmare. Scary..." she trailed off.

Before Alice could could reject, Nightmare went to the other side of the bed and climbed in. He pulled the covers up to their shoulders."W-what are you..? !"

"I'll keep the bad dreams away. Besides, it's the weekend, so I'll just leave in the morning. No one gets up early here," he smiled," and you shouldn't suffer."

Alice was completely against this. They weren't married, or even in a relationship for that matter! She pushed him away."No, Nightmare, this is beyond wrong!" she cried. Nightmare just pulled her closer and started to fall asleep. "There are many things wrong in this world, but this isn't."

And he fell asleep.

Alice went as far as she could to the edge of the bed without falling out. If Nightmare had been awake, this would have made him sad, but he wasn't awake, so he couldn't protest. Luck just wasn't on his side. Alice didn't feel one bit of comfort. She edged off the bed and went to the bathroom, hoping to not wake the sleeping man in her bed. Luck wasn't on her side, either.

"Alice?" Nightmare asked, looking around for her. She peeked around from the bathroom." Present." He went to stand in the doorway, watching her while she splashed her face with warm water. She didn't look like a happy camper. "What's wrong? Did I offend you somehow?"

Alice shook her head."No, I just wasn't really planning on sharing a bed, if you know what I mean," she said playfully. Nightmare chuckled, taking hold of a loose strand of hair."My apologies, I'm just so used to being in bed with my sister; you two really are so alike, it's uncanny."

This spiked Alice's curiosity. She wanted to know more about Nightmare's little sister. She dried her face and turned to him."Tell me more about Yume," she asked. He nodded. They sat on the bed, a small distance between them."Where should I start?" he said more to himself. Alice thought for a moment."Well, what was her personality like?"

"She hated fighting. And seeing people sad. It made her sad too. And when anyone she cared about was mad, Yume would do anything in her power to make them happy."

"What did the two of you do together?" Alice interrupted. He thought again.

"Yume was a lazy girl, I'll give her that," he and Alice laughed for a second," and once she started middle school there was more work than she'd ever had in her life. Whenever she wasn't bedridden with fatigue, we would just walk around our hometown."

"Where are you from?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," he smirked. She hit against his shoulder."Tell me!"

"_Germany_."

"...You lie."

He pushed her back."We really are! I mean, where do you think the name '_Gottschalk_' came from?" He had her beat there.

"Anyway, do you think you'll be able to sleep now?"

Alice felt shy. In all honesty, she didn't think so. These beds were so different than hers, the room had a completely different vibe, and she was surounded by people she barely knew. How would she ever be able to sleep soundly? Nightmare put his hands up."Alright, alright! I get the point," he laughed," I'll just stay until you can sleep."

Alice huddled together, pulling the blankets around her tightly. Nightmare sat next to her, telling her all about his home, his family, and his somewhat native tongue.

"Can you speak German?" she asked curiously. He gave a faint nod."Not fluently, but I'm pretty close." Alice had a small glint in her eye."Will you say something for me?" He smiled.

"What do you want me to say?"

She thought for a second."I want you to say... Alice is better than Nightmare!" He laughed at her, a genuine laugh she'd never heard before." So shallow," he poked.

"Say it!"

"_Alice ist besser als Alptraum_."

She bursted into laughter, listening to the strange sounds of his native language. Although it was strange, she wanted to hear more."Say something else!"

"Like what?"

"Say "my best friend likes to listen to funny foreign words" please!"

" _Mein bester Freund zu horen, lustige fremdworter_."

Alice giggled uncontrollably, clutching her sides tightly. Nightmare smiled."You really get a kick out of that, don't you?"  
They both laughed like the children, in reality, they were. Nightmare sat there for a few minutes, thinking about what Alice had just said.

"Alice... did you mean that?"

She looked at him, puzzled."Mean what?" Nightmare gazed at his palm."Are we best friends? Really?"

"Sure!"

Nightmare jumped from his place and latched onto her in a hug."Thank you Alice!"

"Nnng... can't ... breathe!" she choked. He pulled back." Sorry, I'm just so happy! I never realized how down I was after Yume's passing, but I think I should let that go now, don't you?" Alice nodded."That's the spirit..."  
"Alice, will I see you tomorrow?" he asked curiously. She shrugged."Maybe. I have to run errands for White because I slept in his class-"

"I noticed."

She scratched her cheek sheepishly."And I still have a project to work on with Peter." Nightmare lost his enthusiasm. Alice saw that and tried to pull some better words together."But who knows, we might see each other around the halls, or the library..." Nightmare reached out and touched her cheek with his fingers."Did you know you were crying?"

"Huhh..." she looked in the mirror, only to discover little droplets flowing down her face. She wiped them away."But why?..."

**KNOCK, KNOCK**

Someone hit against the door. Alice jumped out of her skin. Nightmare merely glared at the door.

"Who is it?" she called. No answer. Heading to the door, Alice cracked it just enough to see outside. Nobody was there. But just as she was turning, Alice spotted something on the ground. She picked it up to further examine it.

It was a cluster of all kinds of flowers, held together by a single silk ribbon, a light shade of red. There was also a card stuffed inside the flowers, but Alice decided that for Nightmare's sake, she'd read it later.

"My, my, you have secret admirer, Alice!"

Alice blushed and shook her head." No way, school's only been in for, like, 3 days now. How could anyone know me like that." Nightmare just gave a playful sigh. He found her innocent naivete refreshing, but wasn't sure why. His eyes met the numbers of the digital clock on the nightstand.

"Well, I'll go so you can get some sleep."

He headed for the door, and just as Alice was about to pluck the card from the bouquet and read it, she heard Nightmare's voice."You can try to be sneaky with me all you want, but I'll always know what going on in here," he pointed his his head. Alice just threw a pillow at the door.

She did wonder why someone would send something as pretty as this to an apparently outlandish girl like herself. She wasn't the prettiest girl, or the smartest, or the fastest or strongest. In fact, there wan't one special thing Alice could find in herself. Taking the card into her hands, Alice began to read the incredibly neat and tiny handwriting.

* * *

**BORINGGG~ Bleh, bad taste XD But on the bright side we discover that Nightmare has a secret love of alcohol and schnitzel... HUZZAH! REMEMBER THAAT DANG POLL!**


	20. I Bring You Love  And A Show!

**Ah, the poem~ Be sure to look at the poll. Every roleholder will have one and even Alice will, too! But until then, you can try to figure out who sent this adorable poem to Alice. BTW, the 100th reviewer will receive a special oneshot - AlicexAnyone- **

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**20. I Bring You Love - And A Show!**

Alice looked at the tiny writing; it was a poem. She read it to herself.

_To you I write, on this young night_  
_There's something I need to say _  
_Only to you, does this feel so right_

_Though I've just now met you during these last few days_  
_When I look at you, my mind's in a haze_

_The way your hair falls around your face_  
_The way your eyes make me feel out of place_

_I can't say for sure_  
_That I truly know who you are_  
_But from what I've seen_  
_You're the brightest of stars_

_I know that I'm shy_  
_Call it a stigma_  
_I know I may be difficult_  
_Maybe even an enigma_

_Today won't be last time_  
_That I speak to you like this_  
_Maybe if we get closer _  
_I'll get to give you a kiss_

_The flowers you hold each have meanings_  
_That's what I see when I look at you~_

Alice looked down at the soft red ribbon, only to find a tag hanging from it. She plucked it from the bouquet and read it.

_Daisy - innocence_  
_Hibiscus - delicate beauty_  
_Larkspur - beautiful spirit_  
_Lilac - first love _  
_Gladiolus - love at first sight_

Alice felt fire beneath her cheeks. Feeling overwhelmed with embarassment, she quickly pulled out her laptop and emailed the first female that came to mind.

_Vivaldi,_

_you'll never believe this! I have a secret admirer! They left a card and flowers at my door a few minutes ago, but I didn't get there in time to see who it was! Can you believe that?_

_P.S please don't tell anyone! It's so embarassing!_

Alice closed the laptop and flopped down on the bed. She put the flowers on the nightstand and propped the card up next to them. She'd find a vase tomorrow.  
A whirlwind of emotions sloshed around inside her. Who knew her enough to send a gift like this? It could have been Peter; it really could have been Peter, but something about that didn't seem right. Peter was much more straight-forward than this. It could have been Blood, but this was way too cutesy for someone like him. Nightmare was here while it was delivered, so it couldn't have been him. Who was it?

Alice tossed and turned. She couldn't sleep now. Smooth move, secret admirer. Standing up, she went to the window that was across from the bedroom and tied back the minty green curtains. Pulling the locks up and opening the window, Alice stuck her head outside. The night was still young, but darkness was everywhere. Only the flickering light from the lamps that spread across campus gave visibility. Glancing around, Alice admired the beautiful view. It was a very peaceful view, until she heard a clinking noise. Looking around, she saw someone in the distance...

...balancing themself on the roof!

Alice gasped. It was White!

He walked on the tips of the rooftops, holding his arms out. Then he took a bold leap onto another rooftop, onto the roofs of the Club Green Dorms. Alice shrieked with panic. What if he fell and hurt himself? She flailed her arms rapidly, trying to get his attention. He looked her way, and into the darkness he gave a grin. Suddenly, he flipped forward onto his hands in a handstand and did a backflip towards her. He hopped and did a spin, holding his arms out like a ballerina. With a daring somersault, he jumped onto her balcony with a graceful bow.

"..." she was speechless. White walked closer, looking at her with a puzzled expression."Hm, did you not like the show?" he asked sadly. Alice shook her head and waved her arms."Oh no, that was amazing! How did you not fall off? Where did you learn to do that?"

He laughed with a smile."Well, let's put it this way; Mother never wanted boys- she wanted a daughter to carry on her highschool legacy in gymnastics." Alice founded herself in awe."So you and Black went into Gymnastics?" "No, I went into gynmnastics. Black prefered a more violent way to spend his time; he would train at boxing and karate dojos."

Alice shrugged at him."So, you practice on the roof?" He nodded." Yes! I'm very excited for my role in our play! It's been such a while since I've done a decent frontflip, so I thought I'd practice. The rooftops are so strangly designed here, so they make good practice trials, you know."

"What role are you playing?" she inquired. He waved a finger at her."That's a secret; but I'm sure you and I will have a blast with the stunts!" he cried, clasping his hands together. Alice jumped. Stunts? What stunts?

White suddenly left his happy disposition and scratched his cheek shyly. He seemed to give a slight sigh."I'm so sorry," he cried," I've intruded into your room without your permission. My apologies," he bowed to her. She blushed."Oh, it's no trouble at all." He gave a content smile, but immediately went for the door."Again, I apologize for my intrusion. By the way, I need to get an early start on the manuscripts; will you be at the Drama Room around, let's say, 11:00?"

Alice nodded and plopped onto her bed."I'll be there."

"Good," and with that, he slipped out into the hallway, thinking of all the death-defying stunts he and Alice could do together.

* * *

**Hoho~ Who sent the letter, I wonder? I've been in a rather spiteful mood lately; this has triggered a rather mean hole in the plot - mean for Alice, anyway~**

**Sayonara, lovies~**


	21. Role Playing

**Welcome back~ Finally, interesting things happen. So now that the poll has been taken down, Alice will go on her first date soon. Do you know who it is?**

**100th reviewer gets an AlicexAnyone oneshot that takes place wherever you want in the Heartland Universe~**

* * *

**21. Role Playing**

Alice rushed down the hallway, into the courtyard. It was 10:59, she was late.

_I told White I'd be there by 11:00. Man, I'm an epic fail!_

She held out her arms and rushed full speed into the doors of the Drama Room. They jolted open and she flew threw, startling the identical twins. "Stupid brat can't do anything but bug people," Black muttered under his breath. White nudged him in the side. They strode over to Alice and then brought her over to the computer. Sitting her down, White explained the rules of the manuscrips and printing process.

"After you type the names, you'll need to put down the characters and then good scenarios and stage setting. The second part of that is the trickiest, but a smart girl like you should manage just fine." He gave her access to the printing room and the keys to the storage room, in case she needed some quick inspiration. After they left, Alice logged into the notepad to make a list of people.

"Let's see, I put the names here-" she typed the names of all the actors," and then the roles- wait, I don't know what roles they have! Dang it!... Wait, I know," she logged into her email account and went to look at her email. Great, everyone sent me a reply. _Perfect!,_ she thought.

She checked the replies. Slowly, she typed all the names and roles beside each other and printed it out, then opened a new page to print the manuscript. She smiled as it printed out perfectly; thank the heavens for copy and paste. Placing a dozen hot prints of the scripts into a neat pile. She cracked her knuckles and sighed. Well, it only took 4 hours...Where did White and Black run off to?

As if on cue, the Joker Brothers stormed in. Black had his casual sneer; White had a bright grin."What a good worker you are! Hm, you'd make a fine employee!" Alice handed him the scripts."Here, I kept another document on the notepad if you needed to make more..."

"Good! Now, why don't you go hand these out to our actors then, hm?" Alice tilted her head from side to side."Actors?" White pointed outside. Peeking through the peep-hole, Alice saw all her friends standing around, talking, sitting... Black shuffled her out with the papers. Everyone stared...

"Okay, w-well, here are the scripts, so come and get one..." Everyone got one, and while some scattered out to start memorizing their parts alone, others went into pairs to speak in play format. Looking around, Alice noticed Julius off to the side, staring. She remembered that they were play partners. Running over to him, she smiled."Ready to start?"

"Unfortunately," he sighed.

Alice opened her script and skipped to the part where she had already fallen down the rabbit hole."Hmm... it looks like you start first!"  
He sighed and began to read.

"You don't belong here, get out!" Julius said roughly.

"I'd leave if I knew the way! I'm not here cause' I wanna be!" Alice replied.

"That's no concern of mine. You're not welcome here, get out!" he said again. Alice was rather surprised that Julius was so into his character; it almost made their fighting believable.

"Tell me the way and I'll leave! I don't know my way around the bottom of holes, you know."

"Don't know the way? You mean to say that you, are in fact, a foreigner. One who isn't from our world?"

"That's what I've been saying! I was pulled down here by a rabbit in a waistcoat..."

"That bloody rabbit," he sighed.

"Fine. Since you don't know the way, I'll give you a map. If it gets you out, then I'll comply."

From the corner of her eye, Alice saw everyone else staring.

White began clapping."Fantastic! Bravo~ What in-dept actors you are!" Boris let out a loud cry of excitment," This play is totally rockin' the house!"  
Scanning the next few pages, Julius let out a sigh of distaste."Someone else has to join. We can't go any further without another person."  
Peter immediately jumped in."I'll help~"

They continued acting, Alice's cheeks turning red from the current audience.

"Welcome to Wonderland, my love. It's much different than the world above."

"I'm not your love, and take me home right now!"

"You had no right to bring her here. If a new game starts, you're the one to blame."

Peter glared at him, fully in character."Hmph, if a new game starts it'll only make her happy, since that's what everyone wants. You're nothing more but a pest in the plan. Begone~"

"You're in my home, if you even_ think_ of starting a gun fight here, I'll have you imprisoned," Julius sneered at Peter.

Black pushed his way in front of the acting trio, pushing them apart."Enough of that, damn it! You're distracting everyone else! We're done here," Black shouted to everyone," if you wanna do crap like this then go outside!"

Now, when you were forced to be around Black for the next 3 or 4 foreseeable years, you'd do anything you could to get away from him. Everyone shuffled out, going back to their dorms or going to hang around campus with friends. As Alice exited, she felt a taller prescence beside her." Man, you were great out there!" Elliot laughed. Alice just shrugged."I don't think it was that good. Besides, it was my first time. The real trick will be memorization."

"Nah, you're a natural. Anyway, I guess I'll see ya around."

"Where are you off to?"

Elliot pointed to the cafeteria." Tea Fetish is as Tea Fetish does. The cafeteria gets a special case of Black Tea every week just for Blood. Shame he goes through it so fast..."  
Alice stiffled a laugh, but couldn't hold much of it in. Alice grinned at her laughter; it was so cute!

"Can I go with you?"

"Maybe some other time. I gotta go to work after I give Blood the tea, so I won't be hanging around long." Alice nodded, but something spiked her curiosity."Wait... job? You have a job?"  
Elliot grinned a toothy grin."Yep! I work at a bakery down the street. It's about a block, so it's a reasonable walk. Maybe I'll take you there sometime."

"You know, when the bus was pulling into the city, I saw a little bakery down the road; right next to the mall, yes?" Elliot smiled. "That's the one."

He parted ways with her and went to the cafeteria. Alice just stood there, pondering what to do. She decided to go back to her dorm and relax. Probably take a nap later on..

Entering the room, Alice tumbled onto the bed, messing up the once wrinkle free exterior. As she was about take a nap, pulling the covers up and adjusting the pillows to her liking, she noticed a small piece of paper on her desk...

...and a single red rose sitting next to it.

* * *

**Ooh la la~ Who are these mysterious love letters and flowers from? Yes, I'm very much tempting you to guess :)**


	22. Intermission for 100th reviewer!

**Thank you that this is done! Finally! The only bad part is that it SUCKS SEVERELY! This is being uplaoded at exactly 3:25 am. I IZ TIREDDDD!**

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**Intermission for 100th reviewer goes to - Nozomi60 - Julius x Alice**

Alice slipped past the sliding doors, past the enormous shopping district and into the food court. She was looking for Julius; he would be getting off of work soon and they were going to go over lines for the play together at cute cafe in the back of the mall. Looking at her watch, Alice quickened her pace. She was never on time, no matter how hard she tried. Walking into the cafe, she glanced around, then noticed the lone bluenette sitting by the window.

"Hi," she greeted him.

He nodded in acknowledgment. He already had his script out in front of him, and was quietly looking over lines.

Alice sighed heavily. In all honesty, she didn't want to practice lines. She wanted to just talk about things; stupid things, random things, things that happened a year ago, etc. But she knew Julius wouldn't do such.  
His mind was set, and there was little you could do to change that. Reaching into her bag for the script, Alice's eyes widened. She tore through the shoulder bag, searching in every zipper space and compartment, only to remember that her script was laying on the coffee table in her dorm room.

Alice sank into the booth. How could she have been this forgetful? Now Julius would think of her as nothing more than forgetful and lazy...  
Resting her head on her crossed arms, Alice let out another sigh.

"What's wrong?"

She jumped. She was forgetful; mostly because she forgot he was there. He glared at her suspiciously, then glanced over at the cluttered bag."Where's your script?"  
Alice felt her cheeks heat up."...In my room..." she admitted.

Julius groaned. Pushing his paper aside, he crossed his arms and glared at her."I have a second shift to go to, but I'm not going in early because of this," he huffed. Alice suddenly thought about his occupation; a clock fixer. She had never seen him fix a clock before. She wondered if he was any good at it.

Since there was now a load of time, courtesy of Alice's screw-up, she decided to fill the gap with conversation."What kind of clocks do you fix?"

"Any kind."

"Do you have a favorite?"

"No. A clock is a clock, I suppose."

Alice frowned. Did this man really have no imagination? Alice was growing more curious by the minute. Suddenly, she had a thought. Since Julius had another shift, the sooner he finished, the sooner he'd get to leave for the day. Thinking that the overworked man needed a break, Alice had an idea.

"Can I watch you work?"

"What?" he frowned at her, confused.

"When you go into work, can I watch you? I've always wanted to see the workings of a clock. But whenever I took one apart, there was no hope of putting it back together." She blushed. Julius sat there for a moment, thinking about his options. Considering that he was stuck with a hopeless girl for the rest of the day, he had nothing better to do than work.

"Fine, but stay quiet!

**X**

Alice gazed at the workshop she stood in. Clocks hung on every inch of the wall in every size, shape, and color. Julius sat at a desk off to the side. Throwing his bag into the drawer, he checked in and got to work. Alice pulled up a seat next to him and observed. He removed the screws of a clock and pulled off the front piece. A waterfall of gears and coils fell onto the desk. Julius wasted no time in finding replacements and re-hinging the clock.

"Hmph, I guarantee however owns this clock has children," he muttered. Alice giggled. Something about watching this was so... surreal. She noticed everything that happened. And Julius finally noticed her gawking.

"Do you actually enjoy this? Just sitting here and watching me fix one piece of clockwork after another?" Alice nodded.

**X**

After over 2 hours of clock-fixing, Alice stood up and stretched. With Julius starting the last batch, they'd be walking back to the school together soon. Checking her watch, it was almost 6:30. Thank God tomorrow was Saturday! Going to sit back down, Alice met Julius's cold stare."What?"

"Why are you here? Why stay in this lifeless place when there are so many things you could be doing right now?"

Alice seemed saddened but that. Did he not want her around?

"Well, I like watching you fix clocks, and... you're here," she clushed at that last part. Julius did too.

"S-Stop saying such things," he stuttered. Alice just looked at the floor."But it's true. I like you... a lot. And if I left right now that would be rude."  
Julius blushed even harder. He put the clock and wrench down and turned to face her.

"I'm not a problem free person, you know."

"Trust me, I know," she replied.

"I have secrets like anyone else, and I have lines that you _do not_ cross. Yet, you still like me?" Alice gave a faint smile, her cheeks painted red. Julius, who now seemed very tense, watched her carefully. He leaned next to her and whispered. "I'm not safe to be around."

"I don't care..." Alice knew that to begin with. His past was heartbreaking, but she could deal with it, just like she dealt with her own.

Julius closed the distance between them with a kiss. His lips rested on hers, almost asking for permission to continue. He gave a shower of small kisses, then slowly twined her hand into his. Alice kissed him back. She had never felt so special before... Their foreheads touched, hands still connected. Alice glanced at him shyly, her face now bright red. Julius leaned down to kiss her cheeks. Alice happily let him.

"You're very... unique," he said quietly.

"That makes me feel like some wild animal," she retorted.

"Fine. You're very special... _to me_."

Julius scooped the clocks into the drawer after removing his bag. He had put in enough time today. Holding her hand tightly, they left the shop together. Making their way back to the school, Julius stopped.  
"Huh? What's wrong?" Alice asked.

He stared off into the afternoon sky. It was a beautiful mixture of gold and pink and green. Alice felt his arms encircle her, pulling her close to him. She rested her head on his chest; he was warm.

"Don't _ever_ accept it."

"This affection. Don't ever accept it from anyone else," he looked into her eyes, practically begging. Alice hugged him.

"I won't."

He lifted her chin with his hand and gave her a sweet kiss.

Alice learned that her new boyfriend and clockwork were quiet alike. Both needed maintenance once in a while, both, in some ways, needed attention, and both only showed their true colors when someone was there to appreciate them for what they were.


	23. First Day outside the Campus!

**Ahh~ It's been almost a month since my last upload. It really sucks when your Wi-Fi goes down and you're left with nothing but a T_T face. LOL, oh well~**

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**22. First Day outside the Campus!**

Alice held the card gingerly. This time, it wasn't a poem, but more like a casual conversation.

_I told you I'd talk to you again like this._  
_You probably didn't believe me, did you?_  
_I feel strangly awkward writing this~ Maybe that's a good thing._

_I hope I'm not scaring you by saying I like you._  
_I'm aware that it's not the best way to talk._  
_But I have to admit, I'm a little shy, especially around you._

_I wish I could tell you who I am._  
_But if I did, you might reject me._  
_That's what scares me the most._  
_So, as a way to tell you._  
_I'll invite you to something special._

_But you know, I'd really like to hear from you._  
_Will you put a note outside?_  
_Maybe around 9:00pm tonight?_

_I'll check every night._  
_Even if you don't write back._  
_You can spy all you want._  
_But you'll never catch me~_

Alice sighed, looking at the single rose in her hand. She decided to write a note back. Grabbing a pen and paper, she scribbled down all the questions she wanted to ask, everything she wanted to know about this secret admirer...

_Surprises creep me out, you know._  
_Why don't you want me knowing who you are?_  
_Are you really that shy?_  
_That's kind of cute :)_

_Alright, I'll keep writing you back, but on one condition; you have to tell me 1 secret/fact about yourself in every note you send._  
_Deal? I hope so. And yes, I'll do the same. I've been wanting to talk to someone lately..._

_P.S. if you try to use this information against me, I have people who can easily make sure your body is never found~_

**P.S.S. seriously, I'm not kidding...**

Alice said that mostly due to the fact that she was swapping info with someone she didn't know. And in reality, she wasn't joking. In fact, she saw Gray as an elder brother; he was more than capable of disposing a body.

Placing the note on her dresser, Alice decided there wasn't a need for napping. She thought about going out; maybe invite a friend to go to the mall. And she was curious to see Elliot's workplace. Taking a box out of her closet, Alice pulled out a checkered shoulderbag. She had an I.D, wallet, and a few cute mementos of her home inside. Everything she needed to be recognized, and take care of herself.

Skipping down the hall, Alice saw Boris coming her way. He waved at her.

"Hey, where ya headed?" he asked, his chain necklace jingling with his movements.

"Just going out. I thought I'd go to the mall, maybe look for a bookstore or something... Hey, you wanna come with me?"

Boris grinned."I'll kick it with ya, but just for a while. I'm actually starting my shift in about an hour, so it's all cool."

_Another job? I'm starting to feel a little left out. Maybe I should get a job._

They strolled along the sidewalk, cars and other people bustling by. Alice felt a little out of place; the countryside was never this crowded on a weekend. Entering through the sliding doors, Alice gasped. The mall was enormous, it looked a lot smaller on the outside. Heading off to the left, Boris bade her goodbye.

"This is where you work?" Alice said, swallowing nervously at the gothic store before her. Rock music poured out of speakers while the walls were lined with strange merchandise; hair colors and strips, gothic jewelry and clothes, and music albums. The sign hanging above the scary entrance was a bold red reading **" HOT TOPIC ".**

"Yeah, I love it!" he said enthusiastically, but then saw the somewhat scared look on the freshman's face. This store was just... freaky. Alice waved nervously and slowly backed away. He went inside and left her alone.

Tons of people were rushing from one store to another, and after picking up a sweet treat from Smoothie King, Alice took the escalator to the 2nd floor. Gingerly sipping her smoothie, she looked back and forth. _Hmm, where should I go now?  
_  
Suddenly, her eyes fell on a cute clothing store. Heading inside, Alice saw a familiar face.

"Vivaldi!" she cried. The elegant woman turned to her, showing a faint smile. Alice glanced around, noting she hadn't seen a store like this. Everything was put in color code. All reds in one row, all blues in another, greens on the wall... "What is this place?" she asked. Vivaldi quickly placed a green handbag on the shelf.

"Charming Charlie," she sighed. Alice heard the sad tone in her voice."Do you not like working here?" Vivaldi shook her head."We enjoy working her very much~ The time between breaks, however, is detestable."

"Oh, well, whenever you get a break, you should come hang out with me. I've never been in a mall this big; I feel a little lost," she laughed. Vivaldi slowly hung one chain of jewelry after another."If you feel like that, why don't you visit some other students? There's more than one store that has a Heartland student as an employee."

"I might just do that. Bye Vivaldi," Alice waved as she headed back out into the crowded walkway. Glancing around, she tried to think of another place one of her friends would be. But all that was completely erased when her eyes came across the greatest place little Alice Liddel had ever known; _Barnes and Noble~_ Quickly skipping inside, Alice peeked through one bookshelf after another, looking at romance and science-fiction, adventure, manga; she loved it all. As she reached for another book, a second hand quickly swiped it away.

"Through the Looking Glass, eh?" a low voice sounded. Alice found Blood staring at her, his soft blue eyes watching her every move. She jumped back, startled at his surprise visit."Blood? What are you doing here?" He smirked at her."I find Saturday afternoon to be very boring. If there's one thing I hate more than inconvenience, it's boredom. So I found myself a job. Surprising, isn't it? But it's not here, I assure you," he cooed, leaning against the bookshelf. Alice picked through more titles, not minding him whatsoever.

"Yes, it is surprising. Rather, the fact that you'd actually get off your polished ass once in a while and do something," Alice smirked right back at him. She gave an evil grin as Blood processed her words. He gave a wicked glance."So we're playing that kind of game, are we?" his hand snaked over to hers. His fingers graced over her arm. She retracted her hand, then tried to snatch the book from him, only to fail.

"Ah, ah. If the young Miss wants her book back, she'll have to come get it," he smiled, disappearing into the maze of shelves. Alice scowled. This was a bookstore, not a playground! Alice dove after him, looking through every aisle for the raven haired man. After going through almost every aisle, she felt a hand tug her behind a shelf. Blood pressed against her, trapping her between himself and the shelf. Alice felt his grip tighten, and she could tell very easily that his lips were against her collarbone.

"Looks like you lost this round, Princess. Care to try again?" He laughed, placing a slight kiss on her nape. Alice tensed her shoulders. But now that Blood had suddenly been acting like this, a question popped into mind...

"Are you sending me flowers?" she inquired. Blood suddenly gained twice as much interest."No, I certainly am not. However, I can do so if the young Miss wishes..." he replied, hand tracing her collarbone. Alice wasn't too fond of the unwanted physical contact."N-No, it's quite alright..."

"Why do you ask, Princess?" he kissed her neck again. Blood obviously didn't care where they were; he got what he wanted when he wanted it. Trying to push away, only to be gripped tighter, Alice asked another question."Well, I've been getting flowers from a mystery man... and letters too," she added. Blood suddenly stopped. Stepping in front of her, he caged her with his arms."Well, my interest has been sparked. Tell me, what do these 'letters' say?" Alice blushed.

"Silly things like... being in love, and shyness and stuff," she added quietly," but love at first sight isn't really possible, is it?" Blood smiled."Who knows... My judgement is a bit frazzled right now," he said, drawing in his arms. Pushing the book back into her arms, Blood waved and walked away, but not before turning back and saying a rather ominous sentence.

"I'll be keeping a close eye on you. I'm rather intrigued, knowing_ another_ man is... after you," he added, holding the Devil's smile. Alice felt her cheeks heat up as Blood disappeared behind a broad bookcase.

Putting the book back on a random shelf, Alice made a mad dash to the escalator, rode down to the lower level of the mall, and when to the far corner to sit on a bench. Shaking her head, Alice felt a headache forming. Rubbing her temples softly, she sat in the somewhat quite corner. Today had been an eventful day; but it wasn't over, and Alice didn't want to go home yet. All was quiet until a shadow loomed over her. Glancing up, Alice saw the worried face of Elliot.

"Hey, you feeling ok?" he asked, patting her shoulder," you don't look so hot." Alice sighed. She wasn't feeling all that well, and her head was hurting terribly. He sat next to her, rubbing her shoulder tenderly.

"I'm fine, just a little headache... But what are you doing here, Elliot? I thought you were at work." She said. Elliot pointed at his watch.

"Lunch break. I kick it down here every day when it gets around this hour. What brings you here?" He questioned, clasping his fingers together. Alice watched some children in a play pen not too far from them."Oh, I just came to do some exploring. Learn more about the places are the school; induce in shopping, every girl's love, you know." She stood, dusting her knees.

"You wanted to see where I work, right? Why don't you come back early with me?" He offered her an outstretched hand. Alice took it and he led her out of the mall and into the small bakery beside it. For a small store, it was extremely busy.

Alice sat at a small table off to the side. Putting her bag down, Alice watched as Elliot stood off to the side, wrapping a purple apron around his waist. Turning back to the table, Alice held her breath.

A letter was on the table, and a blood red rose sat on top of it.

* * *

**Psshaah~ Serious stalkery goodness, ahmirite? Whatever, but seriously, who is this mystery man?**


	24. Kitty Cat

**So, my mid-terms/exams are coming up and while they think they're going to out-do me, they're really just giving me inspiration~ Hardy har har, you !$#&% exams.**

* * *

**23. Kitty Cat~**

_Man, I'm really a stalker, aren't I?_  
_I just can't leave you alone for a minute._  
_Doesn't that tell you something?_

_There's so many things I want to tell you._  
_So many things I wish I could say to your face._  
_I hope that we'll be able to meet in person soon._  
_It's funny to think that in reality, we do know each other._

_But don't worry, I'll properly present myself at the Prom._  
_Hopefully, I'll have enough courage by then._

_I love you~_

Alice gasped, and bit her lip. Quickly pulling the letter closed, she shoved it into her bag. Well, she would have shoved it into her bag if Elliot hadn't rushed over, eyeing the card suspiciously. He snatched it from her, reading it quickly.

"What the !$% is this!" he seethed to himself. Alice put the card in her bag, grinning sheepishly."W-well, uh, someone's been sending me love letters for the last few days. They won't say who they are and won't give me any hints. I'm a little lost on who it could be. I don't know, but it's giving me the creeps."

Elliot slammed a fist into his open palm." If you find out who it is, I'll take care of them for ya. Jerks, doin' nothing but botherin' you," he heaved under his breath. Alice, once again, took in the sight of the extreme bi-polar disorder. Elliot had gone from completely calm to immense rage within seconds. It almost frightened her.

"Elliot, calm down," she shook her hand at him," you're still at work. _No one wants to see their waiter breaking tables and throwing cake_." Elliot inhaled deeply, then smiled brightly at her."You're right! I have to work! To the kitchen!" He declared, shaking a triumphant fist toward the kitchen. Alice giggled. She knew how to find the weirdest friends.

* * *

Alice spent the remainder of the day at the bakery. She was doing a little prep work for her project with Peter, listing down why she thought of him as a friend. Looking at the clock, she saw it was almost 8:30.

_Man, time really does fly when you focus on one thing only._

Suddenly, she felt a tap on the shoulder. She saw Elliot standing over her, buttoning a leather coat over himself. "C'mon, let's get outta here," he said, taking her hand.

They walked side by side on the walkway, neither saying much. Alice couldn't take the suffocating silence, so she decided to ask questions."Hey, Elliot?"

"Hm?"

"I heard there's a college for Heartland students a few miles away. Is that true?"

He nodded."Yep. That's where I'll be in a few years. Can't really afford anything else at the moment; besides, you can't find a better college around these parts. Still not sure what field I want to work in..."

"Hey, Elliot?"

"Yeah?"

"Are my questions... bothering you?" Alice wondered," do I annoy you with them?" It wasn't false that Alice liked to learn everything she could about people, but sometimes she got nervous after asking too many questions, thinking that maybe she was prying into their lives way too much. It worried her.

Elliot raised his hand, only to pat her warmly on the head."Nah. I like when you ask me stuff. It makes me feel important," he laughed. Alice blushed. His hand was warm, and it made her sick; her ex did that whenever he felt like showing praise. She tensed up, wanting very much to smack his hand away.

Noticing her tensing up, Elliot pulled her closer to him and wrapped half of his jacket around her. It wasn't so much the jacket that was warm compared to Elliot, whom Alice was now smushed against. She felt a little insecure, especially standing next to someone as tall as him."Are you still cold?"

"No... But you really shouldn't worry over me. I'll be fine." But Elliot disagreed

"You look like you're about to freeze."

His arm rested around her waist. Now Alice was really uncomfortable. She noticed people, especially girls, watching them as they walked by, whispering to each other about the cute couple. Alice felt a lump in her throat.

_Couple? We're not a couple! I know he's trying to be nice, but why does he get to be touchy-feely? It's weird!_  
_But then again, I probably shouldn't say anything. Elliot's nothing but nice to me, and what with his disorder, I might really hurt his feelings._

Alice heaved a sigh. Karma screwed her over time and time again. Oh well.

Alice was in Heaven when her warm bedroom greeted her. She snuggled in her sheets, embracing the soft fabric. After taping the note to the lowest part of the door - and hoping no one else would take it - Alice took a shower and put on her PJ's. Staring up at the ceiling, she listened to the soft ticking of the clover shaped clock on the wall. It was only 9:00, and Saturday, too. Kids wouldn't be going to bed until 2am or 3am. Maybe even later. What would Alice do with the time? While thinking about this, a new noise sounded.

**Scratch scratch~ Mewl~**

A pawing came from the other side of the door. Dashing like a mad woman, Alice flung the door open only to find no one. She thought maybe it had been her secret admirer, but instead, there was a kitten. It walked into the room and began pawing and scratching the furniture, trying to get used to it's newly grown nails. Alice picked it up.

_How cute!_

It was probably the runt of the litter, no doubt. It was a jet black, with tiny white leggings. Soft pink pads stuck to the toes and a wiggly tail wiggled like there was no tomorrow. It wore a sparkly pink collar. Fitting, for a girl.

"Who do you belong to?" Alice asked the kitten, almost like there would be a reply. It just continued to scamper around and meow, until a knock at the door startled the poor thing and made it hide under the bed. Answering the door, Alice met Gray's golden eyes. He seemed a little distressed; strange, because he was usually so calm and composed.

"Hi Gray, what are you doing here?" His eyes glanced around the room, almost like he was searching."I'm sorry to bother you so late, but I'm having a problem. Apparently, my cat has gone missing. You wouldn't have seen her by any chance, would you?" Alice left the door open, but he stayed there, motionless.

"Uh...why?" He still stood there.

"It's rude to enter without permission, don't you agree?" He crossed his arms."Well, yeah, but friends don't really have to invite each other in. They just come in." Gray felt heat rising in his cheeks.

Alice got on her knees and tried to coax the kitten out. After a few failed attempts, she finally grabed the kitten's side and pulled her out."Is this it?" Gray seemed ecstatic. He gently took the small animal from her and hugged it. Alice did her best to supress her laughter. Gray blushed harder and looked at her, embarrassed.

"What?" Why was she laughing at him?

"Sorry -giggle- but it's just a little out of character. I mean, don't get me wrong, but you just don't seem like the kind of guy that likes cutsy stuff."

"What's wrong with liking cute things?" He asked again.

Alice sat down on her bed, looking at the wiggling kitten."Do assassins really like cute things?" Alice slapped a hand over her mouth. How could she have been so stupid! Sweat dabbed her skin; whenever she made a mistake, she always wound up feeling sick.

Gray looked at her, his eyes unmoving. He strode to her, only to sit on his knees and place the kitten on the bed. It crawled over to Alice, who scratched it behind the ears. Flopping over on it's back, the kitten rolled around in the covers, making ripples in the sheets.

After an awkward silence, Alice began to stroke the kitten."I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring it up...you and that...stuff..."

He rubbed the kitty's furry belly."It's fine. I really don't mind talking about it when it's you listening. But either way, it's not the prettiest of stories..."

Alice patted the spot next to her."I'll share my life story if you share yours."

He sat next to her, and began telling his story from the day he was born, up until today.

* * *

**Cat? Imma kitty cat! An' I dancedancedance an' I dancedancedance! LOL, heard that song the other day and I wanted to punch a baby 0_o orz..**


	25. Tell Me

**Gawd, Imma lazy person. What has it been? A month? Two months? I don't think I'll ever be able to apologize for that kind of delay. I just had no spirit to write. But I'll never quite!**

**I know what it feels like to love a story and then the author just completely quits writing( it feels like my little FF heart breaks in pieces) and I'll never let myself do that to someone else :)**

* * *

**24. Tell Me**

"When I was around 10 or 11, I started hanging around the wrong people. We started a gang, or a fight club, and fought with other kids. We even fought with each other. Whenever we won, it was just another boost for our street name. Eventually we dabbled in illegal things, drugs and such. Some of the kids overdosed, and it made our group smaller. Eventually, I was the strongest in that group. If I was ever alone, no one messed with me. They couldn't handle it. No one could."

"After a while, the fighting was more intense, more people came along, and my gang eventually killed one of our biggest rivals' members. Man, talk about melodramatic..."

"Were you the one who killed him?" Alice asked.

"...Yeah, I was. Guess you could say that started an ongoing chain for me." Gray gave a weak laugh. Alice felt a twinge of sadness in her heart.

"Believe me, I wanted to leave that gang more than anything. I went off on my own, but they wouldn't let me out. I stayed in, just for my family's sake."

Alice felt a tear slip. Gray had wanted to leave more than anything, but he couldn't. Gray glanced over, watching as the tear fell. He reached out and wiped it from her cheek.

"Hey now, don't go crying over me. That was a long time ago," he said quietly, his hand still touching her cheek. Alice rubbed her eyes.

"I-I know, but it's still so sad! You gave up your life for your family!" she sniffed. He smiled; such a gentle and loving heart she had.

"Hmm, family. That was another thing that I worried about. I couldn't have a relationship because they would get involved with the violence. I couldn't start my own family...well, I mean, I could now if I wanted to, but..." Alice gave another sniffle. Her nose was a soft red and her cheeks were streaked with tear trails.

The kitten crawled between them and flopped over on it's back, pawing and chewing on Alice's pajama pants.

_"Mreow~ Mewl~"_

Alice gave a weak laugh. She scratched the kitten's pastel pink nose."You know, I can't talk to anyone but you about this. Does that bother you?" She shook her head.

"I like you, so it doesn't bother me. And I promise, I'll keep it a secret," She held out her pinky finger to him, to which he responded by locking his with hers."It's a secret just for us!"

"Hm, I'd like that." After all these years, it felt really good to vent; especially to such an understanding girl like Alice.

After a second, Alice remembered a question that been on her mind for a long time.

"Why did you come to school? I mean, out of all the things you could be doing, why school?"

Gray sighed. He really wanted this conversation to be over, but at the same time he felt like he owed her. For what exactly, he didn't know. Maybe it was because she was the only person willing to listen to him.

"I didn't know how to do anything else but fight. Sometimes I still feel that way, being around people who actually led normal lives. I figured the more I knew, the easier it would be to run away." He sighed, running a hand through his cobalt hair.

"Is that why you try so hard?" She asked. Gray made a confused face, but Alice only waved a finger at him."Oh c'mon, I saw you in the lobby doing your A.P biology homework. And trigonometry, and physics..."

"Hm, you're a really busy guy, you know that?"

"I do now," He poked at the kitten, scratching its soft tummy. Alice rolled over on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Gray remained seated on the floor, fiddling with his hands.

"I wish I had that determination..." She sighed. He looked at her, wondering why she thought so highly of him.

"You'll only get that kind of determination if you hurt others. Trust me, it's not the kind you want."

Alice glanced at him."Determination? That's a rather... different word, right? I mean, really, you fight to the death, only to end up protecting your family, then go on to make your way into a prestigious school without any parental help whatsoever. That's change, wouldn't you agree?"

"I suppose. Change certainly means different, though. I'd like to think that I've changed for the better. Or at least, a small part of me has..."

Suddenly, Gray bolted up and slammed the door open, only to shout at someone in the hallway! Alice heard a mess of footsteps and ran over to see what happened."Who was that?"

"Don't know; whoever they were, they left this," He held out an envelope with a wax seal keeping it closed.

"Should we return it?"

"No. I doubt it was accidently left. Camping outside the door makes a _bold_ statement." Taking the letter, Alice felt a little reluctant. She knew Gray could keep a secret, but if this stalker really was dangerous, then she didn't want anyone else involved."Hey, if I need help could I come to you?"

Looking at her, a faint smile appeared.

"Absolutely. Wait, you're not in any trouble... _are you_?"

She flailed her arms."No! No! I am a little concerned though, I don't have a clue who this person is."

Gray patted her head."I'll keep an eye out. If things get any worse and this guy does more than mere letters, I think I should have some input on punishment," the two of them giggled.

"Well, damn. Now I feel like hunting for the bastard." He ran a hand through his cobalt locks.

"Gee, we'll have a hunting party before long. I don't want to make this bigger than it really is."

He gave a low grunt."Having someone watch your every move is risky. You'd be amazed at the amount of people who are there one day then gone the next. I certainly hope that isn't the case here."

Alice felt a chill. Was this really that serious?

A guy obsessed with love wouldn't have any problems going into a fit of rage if the partner of interest turned them away. If this mystery guy was another case of misfit anger, Alice didn't want to reject, let alone know who it was.

"I hope that isn't it, either. But now that I remember, one of the notes said that he'd show himself at Prom. Don't know how that'll work out, considering I'm not going," she said flatly.

He ushered her inside."Don't worry about it now, it's too late for such drama."

"By the way," he started," you said you'd tell me your life story if I told mine. I think that's fair, right?"

Alice sighed.

"Well, I have a Dad and two sister; one older, one younger. Life was nice up until a few years back. Mom died, and Dad went into a reclusive shock. He works all the time to try and forget about her, but it doesn't work. He didn't forget about Mom, but he forgot about his children.

When Mother's funeral came around, it was rainy, so I'm not a huge fan of rain now. Mom hated tears, so I didn't cry. But since I didn't cry, my younger sister Edith said I was cruel and heartless, and she refuses to speak to me. After that, the only person I had was my big sister, Lorina. Don't get me wrong, I love Lorina and all, but... she makes things... complicated."

"How so?" he asked, suddenly interested.

"Lorina is naive. She doesn't see how perfect she is; pretty, smart, well-mannered. Every guy falls for her. Mine was no exception."

Gray fell silent at that last part. A strong urge to hug her came around, but he pushed it back.

"He wasn't right for you."

"Huh?"

"If he left so quickly for someone else, then he wasn't the right man for you."

**~X~**

Alice felt snug. Gray had left a long time ago, and if she'd been awake to care, the time was around 4:00 in the morning. With Saturday out of the way, what would she do tomorrow?

* * *

**Tomorrow will be an interesting day. I can't decide if Alice should be lazy or go out and do something...**


	26. Done

**25. Done**

When morning came, Alice awoke to a rather dark room. The thick curtains had been closed the night before, so sunlight wasn't attacking her at every angle. Leaning up, her arms stretched out, pulling the coiled up muscules out of place, loosening the tightness in her arms and shoulders. Stifling a yawn, Alice got up on wobbly knees, then made her way to the bathroom.

With a towel wrapped around her wet hair, Alice spent the next hour or so browsing over silly things on the computer, like videos on Youtube. After a while she switched to reading, laying out on her bed with a personal favorite, until a knock came from the door. Alice flinched in surprise.

"Uh, come in?"

The door creaked open, revealing none other than Peter. He grinned brightly as he strode over to the reading girl, all while holding out a note for her.

"My dear, this was taped to your door," he smiled. Alice looked at it. She remembered that wax seal perfectly. Her face turned a ghostly white, but she swallowed hard and took the note from him, only to stuff in into a drawer.

"Um, don't you want to read it?" he questioned.

Alice shook her head."Not now. What did you stop by for, Peter?" His eyes widened."I haven't seen you in almost two days Alice, it was depressing! Especially when you consider who my dorm-mates are!" He cried.  
Her face flattened."Yes, I'm sure it's extremely depressing having Ace as a dorm-mate. But what about Vivaldi? She seems nice."

Peter seemed horrified."_Nice_? Alice, really, that's the scariest thing I've _ever_ heard," he deadpanned. This talk wasn't going anywhere.

"So, you just came because you wanted to see me?"

"Of course! Actually, there was something else. I wanted to know if you were done with your end of the project, since we're turning it in tomorrow. I was planning to take it off your hands, since freshmen students won't be in 1st or 2nd block tomorrow."

Alice seemed confused."We won't? Where are we going?" Peter shrugged; naturally, he didn't have to go, so why should he have known?

After handing over her work, Alice began browsing through the closet for proper clothes."So, uh, how've you been, Peter?" she asked, tossing through piles of fabric.

"Oh, fine. Work has been a little hectic, but I enjoy the challenge."

"Another job? Where do you work?"

"At the mall, down the street. I do fill-ins at Barnes and Noble; anything that needs to be done, I do it."

"Huh. Really, I was there the other day," she said, fumbling through clothes," I didn't see you though."

But Peter hadn't heard. Instead, he'd been too caught up in his texting, and judging by the look on his face, he wasn't happy about what today held for him. But as his glance caught hers, he smiled that bright smile.

"I'm sorry, Alice, but I have to go. The Student Council is having a prep meeting for the upcoming trip. I have to be there," he heaved a sigh as he exited the room."By the way, Alice, I was hoping you would do me a favor."

This grabbed her attention."What?"

"Make sure to wear something cute tomorrow." And with that, he shut the door and took his leave.

_What? Why?_

She shrugged off his comment and dressed herself for the day. But while she wanted to leave and meet up with friends, something still drilled a hole in her. That note, even though it had been in a drawer, still seemed to be visible. Alice heaved a sigh and went to the drawer, pulling out the note. The air seemed to grow heavy as she held her breath.

Tearing away at the envelope, she pulled out the neatly printed writing. Another love confession; how sick...

_I don't want to be away from you anymore._

Alice felt her breath hitch in her throat

_On Monday I'll be waiting for you in the garden at 10:00 pm._

_I shouldn't be this desperate; it's so pathetic._  
_I'm so tired of being alone. Please, stay with me_.

Alice felt her fingertips turn numb.

Tomorrow she would meet the love crazed person that continuously wrote her.


	27. Surprise Sleepover

**Again, it's been a while. My mind is completely and utterly blocked. But I sat down and thought of the plot a little more, and I think I've completely developed it! Yay!**

* * *

**26. Surprise Sleepover**

Alice pondered over Peter's last words to her that day.

_Wear something cute tomorrow._

Tomorrow was when she was supposed to meet her admirer. Did Peter have something to do with this? Was he trying to set them up?

_That couldn't be it_, Alice thought, if anything Peter would try to hook up with me himself. Alice sat there, dressed in her denim skirt and tank top, kicking her feet back and forth, thinking things over thoroughly. After she tied the laces to her brown hightops, Alice bounded out the door, leaving it unlocked. She didn't care if anyone came in; she had hidden her laptop away. Other than that, what was there to steal?

**At the Mall~**

Alice sipped eagerly on her milkshake, walking through the mall corridors. This was definitly the coolest mall ever; they even had a petting zoo inside the pet store, complete with goats and llama; life was good. Alice thought about visiting Vivaldi at Charming Charlie's, but something stopped her. She saw a cute store.

_Clockmaker Mechanics_

Skipping inside, she glanced around at all the clocks; some were plain, some like replicas of famous landmarks, and others were just... what the crap? This certain collection that grabbed Alice's attention was unbelievable. They swirled and intertwined and wrapped around each other, creating wild designs and letters in ridiculously flamboyant clolors. Some said inspirational words like '_hope_' and '_faith_', while others things like _'can't stop me now'_ and _'I found myself in_ _Wonderland'_. Alice felt her eyes burn after blinking because she'd stared at them for so long. Turning away from the unbelievable clocks, Alice saw someone sitting alone at a desk. She went to them.

"Julius?"

His eyes never left the dismantled clock as she spoke to him, his fingers still sliding parts over one another. His sleeves were stained with grease and his hair was tied into a higher pony than what he usually wore. Alice watched him for a second, engulfed in what he was working on. His hands slowly lowered themselves onto the desk, the grasp on the clock parts loosening. His ice cold eyes gave her a glare.

"Why are you watching me?" he asked. Alice shook her head, awakened from the trance."Er, sorry, I just thought it was cool watching you work," she murmured sheepishly. He seemed confused.

"You find _this_," his eyes glanced down at the parts,"entertaining?" She nodded. "Am I bothering you?" He gave her a once-over, from head to toe.

"No. Not at all."

After losing track of the time, Julius finally stood up and stretched. He folded the loose parts into small satchels and put them in the desk drawers; he'd probably finish them on his next shift. He looked over his shoulder, only to catch a glance from Alice. He felt heat rising in his cheeks.

"I'd walk you back, but I have somewhere important I need to hurry to. Excuse me," and with that being said, he left without a single word or glance. Alice looked at one of the many clocks; it was almost 7:00.

Wow, I was out really late today. I'd better get back to my dorm.

The walk home wasn't really considered dangerous. There was still some daylight, and people were still bustling through the streets. Shuffling towards her "Home", Alice picked up the pace when a chill set over the city. Tonight was definitly going to be cold.

**X**

After laying her clothes out, Alice randomly felt the need to walk outside her room. She placed her hand on the knob, exiting out into the hallway. It was dark and ongoing for what seemed like miles, and suddenly, a chill ran up her spine. Chill bumps ran rampant over her arms and she looked from side to side. She was definitly the only one out in the hallway; or so she thought.

_Grab_, a hand latched onto her shoulder. Suddenly, another hand was on her other shoulder, grabbing at her, pulling her away from her room.

"AAHH!" she shrieked! Whoever had their hand on her pulled back, fleeing back to the darkness of the hallway.

_Bang_, doors opened and slammed and figures ran to her.

"Alice! What's wrong!" Nightmare asked, clasping her hands in his. Gray and Julius followed swiftly, circling her. All three were clad in pajamas, they had probably been alseep.

She pulled her hands away."Oh, n-nothing! I just got startled, that's all. I'm sorry if I woke you up," she said apologetically. Nightmare glared, hands on hips."You're not telling us something." Alice felt her face heat up. Why did he have to butt in on everything?

"What _are_ you? My mom?" she spat. His face fell, eyes on the floor. Alice instantly felt the need to slap herself senseless."I'm sorry everyone," she sighed," I've been getting so many letters lately. And I screamed because someone just grabbed me and was pulling me away from my room."

The three men gasped."Someone actually tried to _take you away_?" Gray asked, appalled. His eyes turned steely, like a predator on prey. Julius still seemed shocked; that's right, Alice hadn't told him about her predicament.

"Well, I, uh, I'm sorry again for bothering you, I'll just go-"

"I'll stay with you," Nightmare declared."If someone gets in your room, you won't be alone."

"Yes, maybe we should spend the night with you. Just for... safe measures."

Alice felt her face boil. Older boys? In her room? At night? Oh, GOD NO! "No, no, really, I'll be fine!" She said defensively. "Nope! We're watching over you tonight, and that's final! Be back in a sec," he turned on his heels, probably to get a blanket and pillow.

"Don't bother," Gray said, a slight laugh on his lips."Once his mind is made, you'll never change it. Just go with it for now," he said, giving her a slight pat on the shoulder before disappeared to get his blanket and pillow.

Now only she and Julius were in the hall. And as usual, he didn't seem happy.

"You never told me about this..." he said softly.

"I didn't think you would care," she said," I mean, we don't know each other as well, so..." She was blocking the memory of their shower encounter.

"I see..."

"Does it bother you? T-That I didn't tell you, I mean..."

"No. You're right. We don't know each other very well. I suppose that's my fault." And he went to his room, but unlike the others, he stayed there.

As Alice went to change into her pajamas, her cheeks were hot and her mind ran wild.

Tonight was definitely going to be a long night.


	28. Drama!

**It's been so long! I haven't forgotten about you! I promise! I've been feeling terrible lately, and I have an enormous stress fracture in my foot. Now THAT is some serious pain for me! But I'm back in the writing style. I'll update again in 3 days. AT LEAST!**

* * *

**27. Drama!**

Alice felt nothing but nausea; men were sleeping in her room. At a private boarding school no less. While the others went off to retrieve things for their stay, Alice had switched into a pair of long pink silk pajama pants and top. As she sat on her bed, she recalled how strange her life had been, in one week no less.

_I'm in so much trouble! Why can't I ever do or say anything right? I've already faked sick for a teacher; now I have some secret admirer whose nothing more than a lovesick stalker. It hasn't even been a week yet. Did school start Thursday? Or was it Friday? I can't remember! And I've already made enemies with Blood; I'm still not sure what our relationship is right now. Oh, what do I care? He's so arrogant! And mean!_

_I can't be sidetracked by these people. I do nothing but cause trouble for everyone. Gray and Nightmare are even spending the night because I was so clueless and didn't say anything about the letters until it was too late! What happens if someone finds out? It's not like having two teenagers sleeping over. They're men! Not little boys; men!_  
_I already screwed my relationship with Edith. I don't want to bother anyone else... What if I-"_

"You don't cause me any trouble," Nightmare said, standing in the mahogany doorway. His uncovered eye seemed filled with confusion. Making his way over to sit with her, he crumpled the letter unseen on the door in his hands. "You really are filled with negative thoughts, aren't you?"

Alice didn't say anything, just stared at the wooden floor. "What makes you think you bother everyone?"

She exhaled a breath she couldn't recall holding.

"It's just... whenever I want to do something, it always backfires. I know that's happened to everyone, but I still feel like I'm prone to stupidity. Sometimes, I... I wish I was a completely different person. We've only been in school for, like, 3 days. I'm already wanting it to end! I feel like such an idiot! And I don't know why!"

She massaged her temples, feeling the oncoming headache.

"Everyone has those moments, some more than others, but still..."

The door squeaked open. Gray appeared, and his pillow seemed to be squirming.

"Here," he handed her the pillow. Curled up in a bundle was the jet black kitten from earlier. It rolled out of the smushed pillow and waddled to her, nipping at her baggy shirt.

After a few moments of petting the cat, Alice gave a quick glance. "Again, you really don't have to stay. I mean, I feel bad that you have to sleep on the floor," she said, noticing they were done laying out their covers and pillows.

"It nothing, really. And since we're already here there's no point in going back, right?"

Another awkward pause."So... Any idea who tried to grab you?" Nightmare asked. Alice shook her head.

"If any more problems occur, you know we're just next door..." Gray said, his amber eyes following the kitten.

"I know, but I've always felt so weird when I ask for help. It's not that I'm scared, it's just..." Alice cut off there. Neither of her visitors pursued the topic further, though they both wanted to. After a nervous sounding good night, they all went to sleep, everyoe except for Alice, of course. She was far too nervous to even think of sleeping. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

**X**

Alice awoke to a blaring alarm and footsteps padding across the wooden floor. Peeking through half-open eyes, Alice saw Nightmare fixing his tie while Gray clipped the clover buckle on his belt. "Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," Nightmare smiled. "Ugh, what time is it?"

"Almost 6:45. Why don't you get dressed and come downstairs with us? We'll have breakfast together!"

"All right. Be there in a minute..."

**X**

After chatting with the two seniors over cinnamon muffins, Alice was on her way to gym. She couldn't remember what time it was; she couldn't remember which class this was. She simply had so many. But of course, that was surely to be expected from a prestigious arts school.

Once she had finally changed into her uniform, Alice went of to practice spiking volleyball by herself. Being the new kid wasn't fun; especially when everyone seemed to glance at her in pity for being alone. What did she care? She had friends!

_"lice"_

"Alice!" Pierce squeaked at her. "You seems sad, chu~ Can we pass the volleyball?"

"Sure."

At least she had Pierce. Julius, who has supposed to have been in this class, wasn't here.

_Surely it wouldn't have bothered him that much, would it?_

**~X~X~**

It had been two weeks since the hallway fiasco. And ironically, Alice hadn't recieved any letters since that night. She had thrown all the others away, and still looked over her shoulder every now and then. Julius didn't ever seem around; not that it was bothering Alice anymore, but still. Where did he go during all this time?

**1 MONTH LATER~**

School was really heating up. Alice had piles of homework every day, and still had to juggle rehearsing her lines in Drama and the secret admirer, who still hadn't shown their face; no more letters had shown up either. What a relief! As she headed down to the Drama room for practice, she heard the clinking of metal racks behind the doors.

_What could they be doing so noisily?_

* * *

**What are those crazy kids up to? Where has the mystery stalker gone to? WHO IS the mystery stalker? And seriously, where did Julius go?**

**No, seriously, I DON'T EVEN KNOW where he's been...**


	29. Repeat

**I know I said I would update in 3 days... 3 days turned into 2 weeks...OTZ OTZ OTZ! I've been so sick and whatnot, with a broken bone in my foot and all that other school related stuff that ins't important. Yeah, I know, reality exists... I'm working on getting a scanner, that way when I post artwork on deviantart it doesn't look like the Satan sharted all over it 0_0**

**28. Repeat**

Alice opened the enormous double doors, only to see tons of people, not just drama members. They were carrying buckets of paint in every shade of every color, wooden palettes being stacked in boxes. Racks of bizarre clothing in every form, shape, color, style, and pattern were being shoved here and there. Wooden planks were being tied to ropes, lifted up by pulleys along with nails and other tools. Boxes filled with costume accessories were pilled up in corners and props were carried to the far end of the stage. The curtains were currently being taken down.

_It's a little early for this, isn't it?_

"Hello Alice, nice to see you again," White cooed, appearing from behind a pile of wooden boards."Care to join the others? They're rehearsing in the lounge."

"Uh, sure, but what's going on here? Why is there so much...uh, construction, going on?"

"The plays, of course! We get a head start every year. I will not allow set backs on my stage!" White was about to say something else, but he was instantly distracted."You there! Don't handle those paints so carelessly!" He said, storming off to find out who had been carelessly shoving paint cans onto the floor without stacking them properly.

Alice scurried off the lounge, only to find everyone there chatting away. Some rehearsed lines, while others sat there and read to themselves.

"Nee-san! Nee-san!" The twins cried, wrapping themselves around her tightly."H-Hello...P-please let go..." she gasped out. They instantly released from the hug."Is Nee-san here to practice with us? Please?"

How could she resist such cute faces?

**-0-**

"Look Brother, an new face."

"Yes Brother, I know. She seems nice!"

"Maybe, but remember what Boss said. Never judge a book by it's cover."

"Hey Lady, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, I was wondering who owned this mansio- GAHHH!" Alice fake screamed while the twins held plastic poleaxes against her.

"Ah, we can't go on. The next part is where the dumb ginger shows up."

_Elliot, a ginger? ...that's disappointing._

**Time Lapse - 1 Month**

Alice had currently been in school for two months now. She came back to her dorm every day with piles of homework up to her ankles, drama practice was in full swing, student council was starting soon, and now Alice's schedule had been switched. The school's Board of Education had asked for a more cultural impact on the students, so now there was a foreign language class. That was a class Alice knew she was going to hate.

She swapped emails with Lorina every other day, and once she got a job, Alice hoped to buy a camera so she could send pictures of the school and her friends along with the emails.

As she headed to this new "Foreign Language" class, Alice caught a familiar glimpse of someone she hadn't seen in a while.

_Julius is back !?_

Yes, he was. He'd been gone for almost 3 weeks, and God only knew how much homework he'd have waiting for him, and tests, and quizzes, and exams...

Alice was sure they would have Foreign Language together. Nope, she was wrong. But there were a few other familiar face; Boris, Nightmare, Ace, and Peter.

"Alice! Come sit with me!" Peter cried. Ace moved in front of him."Or you could sit by me!" Obviously Boris had something to say; he also found a way to butt in. All the while, Alice slipped away to sit by Nightmare.

"Ready to learn a foreign language that we'll probably never use?"

"Of course," he let out a sigh. Alice frowned in confusion.

"W-what's wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing. Foreign language, it reminds me of my family. Just a little saddening, that's all. But I think you'll like learning a new language. It's really rewarding once in a while." Alice pondered. She felt bad for asking.

_Nightmare's family is all the way in Germany. He's all alone..._

"You make it sound like I'm an old man."

"You act like it sometimes."

"Hey!" They laughed. Having friends was so great.

Alice glared down at the language encylopedia before her. It sat there, mocking her. 'Beginner's Guide to Spanish', it read.

_You won't defeat me, Spanish Dictionary! I'll show you who's boss!_

Unfortunately, after the first Spanish test, Alice realized she still had a lot to learn.

**Three Days Later - September, 27- Thursday 7:35 pm**

_Lorina,_

_I'm looking for a job. I've already filled applications and everything and they have my cell phone number._  
_I really hope someone calls back. It's really boring being by myself when everyone else is at work._  
_I want to send you pictured of my friends. Maybe you can meet them sometime!_

_Love, Alice_

Alice sighed, closing her laptop. She reached over to the dresser and grabbed a brush. Pulling it through her hair, Alice glanced at herself in the mirror. She noticed tiny bags underneath her eyes.

Who was she kidding? How could she get a job when all her time was devoted to school? At this point in time she didn't care that much, and money was a real necessity; something that was needed by a majority of everyone.

And she was tired, too. Coming to the dorm and seeing that messily made bed filled her with happiness. After putting her most recent book report in her notebook, Alice changed into a nightgown and climbed into bed.

_Tomorrow's Friday...yay..._

And with those thoughts in her head, Alice was soon sleeping like the dead.

* * *

**Well, school is about to get easier, so I'll update more frequently. What kind of things should happen with Alice and her friends? I'll go with just about anything, so let's shoot the breeze over a review, shall we?**


	30. Ace the Gossiper!

**Hello everyone! After an 8 month hiatus, I'm back! And as long as it's possible, I'm NOT gonna let this happen again. These stories need to get moving and end. Now! And seriously guys, I love requests more than you could ever begin to imagine. If you want to see something happen you need to tell me!  
This is freshly typed, and I have a murderous head-ache, so there's probably a ton of errors.**

* * *

**29. ****Ace the Gossiper!**  
**_  
_**_THUD, THUD_

Alice was rudely awakened by the pounding of footsteps outside her hall. Seriously? It was Saturday! Some people were tired! Weakly pushing herself up, she crossed the room and reached for the doorknob. Peering out in the hallway, Alice saw lots of other people gathering around the walls. There were clipboards hung on the walls and post-it notes strung around. Sign-up sheets?

"Hell yeah, tennis team for the win!" One kid fist-pumped.

"Pshh, whatev. Swim team is where it's at!" A girl retorted.

_Tennis team? Swim team? So it's just a sport sign up? Who on Earth signs up for curriculums at 8:00am?_

Whatever. Alice wasn't a jock-ish person, and she never planned on it. Closing the door, she fumbled back into bed, but with all the noise right outside her door, there was no way she'd go back to sleep any time soon.

_Come to think of it, I haven't talked to anyone for a while, I've been asleep all the time!_

True to her word, Alice's life had become a monotonous schedule of boring-ness. And the fact that she slept when there was free time didn't help either.  
Seriously, when was the last time she had practiced her play lines? She was really pulling everyone else down by not rehearsing! That's it, time for an intervention before the schedule set itself!

School lasted exactly 10 months, starting in early August and ending in late May. The date on the digital clock read 12/6/2012. The first Saturday of December.

Hot damn, how did December get here so fast?

Glancing at herself, Alice huffed out a heavy sigh. She decided that after dressing herself, a trip to the library was in order. A nice, quiet place, a place to study lines and get lost in the musty smell of old books.

_I bet they have a copy of every published book in existence here. This place is gigantic. Actually, now that I think about it, I haven't really talked to any of my friends in... in... I can't remember how long it's been! Wow, I'm such a horrible person. Why do they even bother with me? I'm so awful. So..._

Now, nobody outside the Liddell household would ever know, guess, or even believe for an instance that little Alice Liddell had depression. She suffered from depression constantly. The urges of the depression never, _ever_ included self-harm, not even once. But Alice did have a bad habit of locking herself away for days on end, only leaving her room for school and meal times. But the real kicker was her constant self-deprecating attitude. Alice saw absolute zero value or importance in herself, and often believed that people only befriended her out of pity.

Obviously, none of this was true, but that didn't stop Alice from believing it. She often ridiculed herself for the most minor mistakes. Come to think of it, had she taken her medicine yet? Alice kept a stash of antidepressants, like Cymbalta and Lexapro, with her at all times. No, she wasn't a pill head, but she did fear what others would think if they found out, which was the reason she kept it a secret from the school's infirmary.

Slipping outside, she carefully went down the stairs (yesterday she tripped down the evil thing) and silently tiptoed into the library. It was only about 8:45-ish, and unlike those jerks in the hallway, Alice was careful not to wake anyone.

After finding a book on mythology, Alice curled up against the recliner. It was so puffy the moment she sat down, it completely engulfed her. But it was fine, who didn't like squishy chairs? Saturday was meant for relaxation. Alice was totally relaxed. Until someone placed their hands over her eyes.

"Guess who?" It was way too early to be so happy. That voice sounded familiar, what with that dumb, child-like sounding tone to it.

"Ace?"

"Hi, Alice!" She felt a weight on the chair, and then bounced up as Ace pushed himself over the back of the chair to sit with her. He immediately grabbed her hands.

"Man, I haven't seen you in ages. How are you? We should hang together today. Yeah, we totally should!" She didn't care what he wanted, she wanted him to let go of her.  
Yanking her hands back, Alice stared at him with her big teal eyes, meeting his equally big red ones.

"That's fine." Without hesitating, he jerked her from the chair, sending the book in her lap flying. "Let's go to the mall. There's so much I need to tell you! No, I _have_ to tell you~" He grinned.

* * *

"And then, the World Geography teacher got fired because apparently some kids were accusing him of _stuff_, if ya know what I mean, and now the new one is, like, really cool. But I still liked the old one, though."

Alice had discovered through out their date at the mall that Ace was probably the biggest gossiper she would ever meet._ Ever_. He knew everything that went on around school, even if he had no part in it whatsoever. His memory was astounding, but his sense of direction was atrocious. No matter where they went, Alice had to lead the way. Apparently, Ace was notorious for being tardy and late to anything planned, which was probably the reason he couldn't hold down a job for more than a few weeks.

Alice looked at the clock. It was 4:57. Time really flew when you listened to juicy gossip for four hours. Suddenly, Alice felt a tug. Ace pulled her down onto a table (they had been standing in line for smoothies) and while Alice slurped on hers, Ace just kept on talking. And despite the fact that Alice knew it was wrong, once Ace started talking about all the people they knew, she quickly tuned in.

" and Peter can be really mean sometimes but he's one of my best friends. Julius is too! But I don't think Mr. Ringmarc is too fond of me, though," Ace said, then proceeded to show Alice a huge scar on his arm, which began at his elbow and stretched down to his wrist. He gave a wicked grin. "But he's my favorite sparring partner, so I don't mind if I get a little beat up. Helps me clear my mind sometimes, ya know?"

Alice gasped. Gray put that enormous scar on him?_ Remind me to never get him mad..._

"but the real thing I wanted to tell you, you'll never believe it!" Ace threw his hands in the air, earning a few looks from some surrounding people. He motioned for Alice to lean closer, which she did. Leaning in, he whispered in her ear.

_"I think Elliot has a thing for you~"_

Her eyes widened. Really? The adorable, yet somewhat bi-polar, sweets-loving Elliot had a crush on her?

"Since when?" she breathed. Ace smirked. "It's just my opinion on the matter. I think he's liked you since school started, so what is that? Four months?"

If he liked her, then why didn't he say anything?... Then it hit her like a wall of bricks. Elliot had been to show her with subtle things, but Alice was much too oblivious to see it.

There was the time he asked her to come to work with him.  
And the time he joined her at lunch one day with a mini-cake, which just so happened to be her favorite flavor.  
And the time he asked what her favorite color was, and her favorite flower.  
And the time in drama room when a box fell of a carrier and he shoved her out of the way.  
And when she caught him limping to his room after a hard day of soccer practice and forced him to lean on her shoulder, he was blushing like crazy!

"So when ya gonna tell him?" Ace smirked, nonchalantly sipping his smoothie. Alice stuttered and nearly choked on the straw she'd been chewing on.  
"Tell him _what_?" she feigned ignorance. Ace laughed loudly at her.

"Ah, c'mon Alice, I _know_ you like him, too! Here, I'll help you!"

Giving that wicked smile, he furiously typed against his phone's keyboard. "Ace?"

"Hm?"

"What are you doing?" she asked suspiciously. Did he dare do what she was thinking?

"Telling Elliot to meet us here," he said innocently. _What! No! Why would you do that?_

Wait... Why did she care so much? Elliot was just a friend, right? But now that she was thinking about him, her palms started sweating. Elliot was_ just_ a friend who_ just_ happened to be a guy. Nothing more. But these self-assuring thoughts didn't stop her heart from fluttering.

"Cool! He's on his way!"

"Oh God, what did you say ?..."

Ace smirked cheekily at her. "I said _"Alice has something to tell you"_ and left it at that."  
Her mouthed dropped.

"Ace! Why would you do that! You just set him up to feel bad because I don't have _anything_ to tell him!"

"Daww, Alice, you're blushing! That is just too damn cute!"

"...Ace?"

"Yeah?"

_"I hate you."_

"Ha ha! Love you too, best friend!"

* * *

**So you know when you don't write for eight months and when you start again you're really good at it? Yeah, me neither...  
REVIEW and tell me what YOU WANT TO SEE HAPPENING!  
Again, this is freshly typed and I have a pounding head-ache, so there's probably a lot of typos. **


	31. Blossoming Love

**OH MY GOD I REVIEW MY OWN CHAPTER LIKE A MORON! I was joking around and pressed the button and now there's a random "lol" there. WHAT? Anyway, what's it been? 2 weeks? I was a little disappointed that I only received 4 reviews I think? I'm so used to getting more, but this fandom isn't what it used to be, and a lot of people are gone now. Oh well, done with my ranting~ Enjoy, like, review, all that jazz~**

* * *

**30. Blossoming Love**

Alice nervously clenched her hands together. This afternoon had gone from nice to awful within seconds.

Elliot sent Ace a text saying he'd be no later than 15 minutes getting there, and who knows what Ace had said back. But that didn't matter; what mattered was the fact that Ace had deliberately put them in an awkward position and expected everything to work itself out

Things don't work like that! Not when it came to feelings like friendship and love. And now Alice was probably about to ruin a good friendship because of her nervousness.

_And because Ace is a douche..._

"Ace, how could you do this to me! Do you have _any_ idea how disappointed Elliot will feel after today? Do you have any idea of how embarrassed and guilty _I'll_ feel after today?" she sighed in exasperation.

"Wait, who's gonna feel guilty?"

"AHHH!" Alice shrieked, earning attention from other people in the food court. Alice stumbled only to find Elliot standing behind her.

"Ell, my bro, what took you so long! Ha ha," Alice laughed. God, his laugh was so _dumb _sounding. Especially to an angry Alice.

"Damn it, Ace, don't call me that. It's just...ugh." Elliot grimaced.

After a pregnant pause, Alice spoke up. "You got here pretty fast."

"Fast? I thought I was pretty slow, actually."

"Wow, Alice, that was just lame..." Ace commented from his seat.

"ACE!"

"What?"

"GO AWAY!"

"Fine, fine. I'll leave you two alone. But you have to tell me _everything_ later," he said, standing from his seat and pushing the chair up. He bade them both farewell, and went on his way.

Again, another awkward silence.

"So, uh... whattaya wanna talk about?" he asked, a faint blush rising through his cheeks.

"Actually, Ace was just being himself, unfortunately. There really wasn't anything I wanted to say. I tried to get him to tell you, but he wouldn't do it."

"Oh...well," he started, but stopped himself.

"Hm?"

Elliot crossed his arms and looked down at the tiled floor. "Well, I have something that I kinda...wanna tell ya, but..." He didn't say anything, but his cheeks grew darker with each passing moment.

"But...?"

"Can we go somewhere less crowded to talk about it?" he asked quickly, but his voice came out more pitiful than he'd like to have admitted; it sounded more like begging.

"Sure." After throwing away her garbage, the duo made their way to the front exit. But what they didn't notice were the two icy glares they received while leaving. And for one reason or another, both people were sure to question Alice about it later.

* * *

The two made their way down the street, apparently headed to a nearby park, according to Elliot.

The park came into view. It was quiet, with a few benches here and there, a swing set, and trees everywhere. Elliot sat on the closest bench, and motioned for her to sit beside him. She complied.

"So...what's up?"

"I think that...well, uh, I mean..." he stuttered out. Alice quirked a brow. Ace might be a total moron, but he seemed to be on to something.

"DAMN IT!" Elliot threw his hands up in exasperation, quickly concealing his face with his palms. Alice did nothing but sit there...because if Ace's suspicion was correct, then Alice knew that same frustrated feeling. _And it sucked_.

Reaching out, she touched his arm with her fingertips. He glanced at her through his hands.

"Sorry..." Alice gave a weak smile. "It's okay."

"I dunno what Ace mighta said, but... I, um... _Ilikeyou_..." he rushed out the last part, cheeks bright red. His shoulders slumped.

"I like you, as in _like-like_ you. I have since school started. An' I tried to show it, but I don't really know how... People are scared of my height, and anyone who stays doesn't wanna hang around major manic-depression for long..."

Alice felt her heart literally shatter into a hundred tiny pieces. He just openly admitted to being rejected... _How could anyone reject him? He's sweeter than sugar! Wait, what am I thinking...? I don't like him like that, do I?_

"I dunno, I know we got off on the wrong footon the first day, but the minute you apologized, I just... I knew it was you."

Alice circled her thumbs nervously. This was getting way too thick, and way too one-sided.

"Elliot, why would you ever like someone like me? I'm so...so plain! There's nothing special about me."

He shook his head, his curly orange hair bouncing with the movements. "You're special to me..."

_Silence._

_Silence._

_Silence._

Her old flame never told her that.

_Silence._

Elliot scooted closer to her.

_Silence._

His fingers twisted around hers.

_Silence._

Alice turned her head to look at him. His enamoring purple eyes locked with her soft teal.

_Silence._

Something was wrong. Alice leaned closer; barely an inch. Her indecisive mind was burning.

Elliot's fingers tightened around hers, and slowly, brought his other hand to her face. His palm pressed against her cheek, tilting her head to look up at him.

_Silence._

He leaned in.

_Silence._

Alice's heart was beating wildly in her chest. It hurt.

Suddenly, a pair of lips touched hers. Soft, slightly chapped, warm.

* * *

Elliot wasn't easily surprised, despite having a disorder that should have made him so.

It was hard to surprise him, for one reason or another. It wasn't a facial expression he made often.

But during this moment in his more-or-less miserable life, nothing had surprised him more than what could have followed his 'make-it-or-break-it' kiss.

After he pulled back to see what her expression would be, he was _very_ surprised.

The girl of his dreams leaned in and kissed him.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Elliot had been with a girl or two, but those make-out sessions were trivial compared to this. Alice was the icing on the cake, and he loved the taste.

And he figured she'd have to like him. She wasn't a loose girl who'd lock lips with just anyone, that much he knew. There was definitely a spark here. And he enjoyed the shock.

After breaking apart, he looked down at her. She was beet red and staring at the ground like it was her saviour. He brought both hands to her cheeks and leaned in until their foreheads touched.

"Hey," he whispered softly. Her eyes met his.

"Hey," she whispered back.

"So... are we a... a thing?" he asked, unsure.

She nodded.

It took Elliot a minute to process the gesture. Of course, the reason he might have had a hard time doing that was because of how quickly he jumped from the bench, scooped her into his arms, and started spinning wildly. And the best part about the whole thing?

They were both laughing the entire time.

* * *

**Badly written cheesy-ness is cheesy... But you love it XD And now it's 1 AM, and I should sleep... Np, I don't need sleep, I have Tumblr~**


	32. Sweetness

**Damn longest 4 months of my life. I hate school. I really do. It's like Hell's middle-earth vortex or something.**

**P.S - I got the dates wrong in the story. This chapter's correct date is SUNDAY!**

**That is all :)**

* * *

**31. Sweetness**

The walk back to campus was peaceful. There was something serene about it. Maybe it was the sunset, painting the land in a warm glowing orange. Or maybe it was the wind, which blew softly through the city streets.

Alice found a sense of peace on the way back to school, and her hand found it's way to Elliot, who gripped hers tightly. Their arms pressed against one another while they walked, seldom speaking. They honestly didn't have much to say to each other, but the feelings they shared were too strange, too foreign.  
Neither of the could find the right way to explain it.

Elliot saw it as a challenge. He wanted to be Alice's everything, in every aspect. Alice saw it as a proposition. The goal was to become someone Elliot would treasure in every shape and form.

As the marble structures of the school came into view, Elliot pulled Alice aside and hugged her.

"...Thanks," he said. "For what?" she questioned.

He rested his forehead against hers."Well... you chose me. Not someone else. " Alice didn't say anything. Was it really necessary? That might have been the cheesiest thing anyone ever said to her, but it warmed her heart nonetheless.

"It's a little early for that... isn't it? I mean, you hardly know me..." Her words came without thinking. It was true.

When one looked at it realistically, the two knew next to nothing about each other. It was foolish to say such lovey-dovey things now, wasn't it?

He blushed slightly. He knew enough about her, didn't he? Favorite color, favorite subject, favorite animal... well, damn.

_Great way to start a relationship, ya moron..._

"Well, let's fix that, then. If you're not busy tomorrow, let's go on a date!"

"A date?" Gulp. She hadn't been on a date since her ex, and even then they hardly when out. What did you even _do_ on a date?

"Totally! I don't work tomorrow, so I'm free. And if you get stuck with homework, then I can help ya with it and then we'll go somewhere! C'mon! It'll be awesome!"

His child-like excitement warmed her heart.

"Sounds like fun! Where should we go?"

"Well, uh... How about the city? You've never been anywhere else 'cept the mall, right? I'll take you sightseeing."

"Okay. That'll be fun." Taking hold of her hand, he led her back to the Main Office of the school. Once they reached the dorm buildings, Alice said goodbye and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. While closing the door behind her, she saw him blushing, grinning to no one in particular.

As she took in the familiarity of her room, today's events crashed down onto her.

_I have a boyfriend. Oh my God, I have a friggin' boyfriend!_

She instantly texted Lorina to tell her the news. What would she say? Will she approve? Be disappointed?

_...Why do I care about what she thinks. I want my family to like my significant other, but still..._

Alice pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind. Deciding that now would probably be a good time to shower, she headed to the closet for a towel. Hm, Elliot talked about homework earlier... _Did I have any?_

Now that she thought about it, Alice did have an essay on the Renaissance and the art produced from it.

"Maybe I'll start on that after I'm clean...Yeah, I'll do that," and with that, she undressed and went into the bathroom.

**...**

An hour and over 50 Google searches later, Alice had her notebook filled with topics, discussions, famous people, art, and literature, all spawned from the Renaissance. Glancing at the clock, she sighed. 9:47pm.

So much work. Maybe advanced private school wasn't such a good idea. Yeah, she'd have a greater opportunity of success, but at what cost? What was life without spending time with family and friends and loved ones?

_Loved ones..._ Her heart went back to Elliot for a split second.

"Ughhh, why am I so hopelessly romantic? It's not gonna get me anywhere," she said to herself. Reaching over to turn out the lamp, a sudden buzz startled her. It was her phone.

**Buzz, buzz, buzz**

Message from: _Elliot_

Sent: 9:50pm Recieved: 9:51pm

_Goodnight._

Her heart fluttered. She responded quickly.

Sent: 9:53pm

_Goodnight :)_

She love smileys. They were just too cute.

After setting the alarm for school, she placed the cell next to her pillow. Her weekend was over. Too bad.

Oh, well. The sooner she went to sleep, the closer she'd be to next weekend.

* * *

**Ah, Christmas is almost here~ What should Alice give Elliot as a present? What should Alice get as a present?**


End file.
